Former Transport Minister Testifies in Medan DJKA Corruption Case Trial

The continuation of the trial for the alleged corruption case involving railway line construction and maintenance projects within the Directorate General of Railways (DJKA) of the Ministry of Transportation was held at the Medan District Court.

In the proceedings, the Public Prosecutor presented several witnesses from government officials and related parties. One of the witnesses providing testimony was former Minister of Transportation, Budi Karya Sumadi, who attended the trial virtually.

In his statement, Budi Karya conveyed that he never gave instructions or orders to anyone to collect funds for political purposes. He emphasised that all the allegations were inconsistent with what he knew.

“I never ordered such a thing. There were no directives for fund collection,” Budi stated.

This trial is part of the legal process regarding the alleged corruption in the railway line projects in the Medan region during the 2021–2024 period. The case involves several defendants, including Muhlis Hanggani Capah as the Commitment Making Official (PPK) and Eddy Kurniawan Winarto from the private sector.

The case previously attracted the attention of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), which has designated several suspects related to alleged tender arrangements.

Meanwhile, criminal law expert from Trisakti University, Abdul Fickar Hadjar, assessed that the presence of witnesses, including the former Minister of Transportation, is an important part of the proof process in the trial. “Witnesses are obliged to attend,” he told reporters.

The trial will continue with the examination of other witnesses to further explore the facts related to the case.