Court Hears Former Pati Regent Sudewo Conditioned Railway Projects at Ministry of Transportation

A corruption trial at the Semarang Corruption Court on Monday heard testimony alleging that former Pati Regent Sudewo conditioned several projects within the Directorate General of Railways at the Ministry of Transportation. Witness Ari Hendratno, a Commitment-Making Official at the Railway Maintenance Centre, testified that he was informed by his superior, the Head of the Centre, that several project packages had been requested by Sudewo. These projects included the construction of railway infrastructure worth Rp30 billion and the procurement of facilities worth Rp60 billion, scheduled for the 2023 to 2024 fiscal years. Ari Hendratno stated that the Head of the Centre conveyed this information to him, indicating that the conditioning of the project tenders was linked to Sudewo. Sudewo, the former Regent of Pati, is standing trial for alleged bribery and gratuities related to railway line construction projects within the Directorate General of Railways.