Former Transport Official Accused of Demanding 5% Fee from KAI Subsidiary

A former Transport Ministry railway infrastructure official allegedly demanded a 5% fee from a subsidiary of state railway operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia to secure a project in Java and Sumatra, according to prosecutors.

The allegation against Harno Trimadi emerged in an indictment read by Corruption Eradication Commission prosecutors at the Jakarta Corruption Court on Sept. 7. Harno served as director of railway infrastructure at the ministry's Directorate General of Railways and as the budget authority for the project.

Prosecutors said Harno made the demand during a December 2021 meeting at the railway infrastructure directorate's office in Gambir, Central Jakarta. The meeting also discussed payment for work related to flooding in Lemah Abang and a plan to make PT KA Properti Manajemen, or KAPM, a railway infrastructure business.

Harno reportedly told those attending that a 2022 project to repair level crossings in Java and Sumatra would be awarded to the company. He directed its representatives to coordinate with Fadliansyah, the project's commitment-making official, over the tender process. Prosecutor Greafik Loserte said the 5% fee was required for KAPM to obtain the work package.

The indictment alleges that the tender was manipulated and that KAPM submitted a bid of Rp20.752 billion. Between May and December 2022, the company, through Parjono, allegedly paid Rp1 billion to Harno and Fadliansyah. Prosecutors also said the company gave them another Rp125 million with the approval of former KAPM president director Yoseph Ibrahim, whose related corruption case has already obtained a final ruling.

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Harno Trimadi stated that the defendant had to pay a commitment fee of 5% of the contract value so that the defendant could obtain the Java-Sumatra level-crossing work package for the 2022 fiscal year.