Cash Seizure From Former Aide Opens Chance for KPK to Question Budi Karya Sumadi
Serang, Banten — The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has opened the possibility of questioning former Transport Minister Budi Karya Sumadi after seizing hundreds of millions of rupiah from his former expert staffer, Robby Kurniawan. Sumadi was last questioned by the KPK as a witness in the DJKA case on 9 March 2026.
‘Yes, the possibility to be questioned definitely exists,’ KPK Chairman Setyo Budiyanto said in Serang, Banten, on Thursday (21 May 2026). However, he could not say much yet because he awaits further reports from the KPK’s Deputy for Enforcement and Execution regarding developments in the probe into alleged bribery in the construction and maintenance of railway lines within the Directorate General of Railways (DJKA) of the Ministry of Transportation (Kemenhub).
The case originated from an arrest operation (OTT) conducted by the KPK on 11 April 2023 at the Balai Teknik Perkeretaapian (BTP) Class I Central Java Region, DJKA Kemenhub. The BTP Class I Central Java Region has since been renamed BTP Class I Semarang. The KPK subsequently named 10 suspects who were detained in connection with suspected corruption in the construction and maintenance of railway lines in Java, Sumatra and Sulawesi. By 20 January 2026, the KPK had named and detained 21 suspects, including Sudewo. In addition, two corporations had been named as suspects in the case.
The alleged offences covered projects including the Solo Balapan-Kadipiro-Kalioso double-track line, railway works in Makassar, South Sulawesi, four railway construction projects and two supervision projects in Lampegan, Cianjur, West Java, and the at-grade crossing improvement project between Java and Sumatra. In these works, investigators allege a process of winner manipulation through bid rigging from the administrative phase to the tender award.
On 19 May 2026, the KPK announced it had seized hundreds of millions of rupiah from the former minister’s expert staffer era Budi Karya Sumadi and from Dudy Purwagandhi and Robby Kurniawan.