KPK examines former transport minister Budi Karya regarding procurement process and links to parliamentary members
Jakarta — The Anti-Corruption Commission (KPK) examined former Transport Minister Budi Karya Sumadi regarding procurement procedures within the Directorate General of Railways (DJKA) of the Ministry of Transport and its connection to members of Commission V of the House of Representatives as working partners of the ministry.
The examination took place at the office of the Financial and Development Supervisory Board (BPKP) representative in Central Java Province, Semarang City, on 9 March 2026.
“In this examination, investigators explored the witness’s knowledge regarding the procurement processes and mechanisms that took place at DJKA,” said KPK Spokesperson Budi Prasetyo at KPK’s Red and White Building in Jakarta on Monday.
He further stated that the KPK asked Budi Karya Sumadi to explain the implementation of the procurement in his capacity as transport minister at the time the case occurred.
Meanwhile, Budi Karya Sumadi’s legal counsel, Tri Hartanto, reaffirmed that his client had responded to the KPK’s summons.
“We responded to the summons,” said Tri.
The case initially emerged from a raids conducted by the KPK on 11 April 2023 at the Class I Railway Engineering Centre for Central Java Region of DJKA at the Ministry of Transport. The centre has since been renamed the Class I Railway Engineering Centre Semarang.
The KPK subsequently designated 10 suspects who were immediately detained in connection with the alleged corruption case involving railway construction and maintenance projects in Java, Sumatra, and Sulawesi.
As of 20 January 2026, the KPK has designated and detained 21 suspects. The KPK has also designated two corporations as suspects in the case.
The alleged corruption involves railway construction projects including the dual-track Solo Balapan-Kadipiro-Kalioso railway project; railway construction projects in Makassar, South Sulawesi; four railway construction projects and two supervision projects in Lampegan Cianjur, West Java; and railway level crossing improvement projects in Java and Sumatra.
In these construction and maintenance projects, there is alleged to have been collusion in determining project winners by certain parties through manipulation from the administrative process through tender winner determination.
Budi Karya Sumadi had previously been examined by the KPK in this case. He was last examined by the KPK as a witness in the alleged DJKA corruption case on 26 July 2023.
On 18 February 2026, the KPK again summoned Budi Karya Sumadi. However, he was unable to respond due to a prior commitment. The KPK subsequently rescheduled the examination for 25 February 2026, but Budi Karya Sumadi remained unable to attend. Eventually, the KPK rescheduled the examination for 2 March 2026.