KPK searches Health Ministry

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is searching the Health Ministry building in Jakarta as part of its investigation into alleged graft related to procurement projects at the ministry.

KPK spokesman Johan Budi said fourteen KPK investigators have been searching the office of the secretary-general of the ministry as the anti-graft body was expanding its investigation into the procurement projects, which was put on hiatus in 2007.

“(We are) gathering more evidence related to the cases,” he said as quoted by tempointeraktif.com.

Earlier this month the anti-graft body named Mardiono, the chairman of a 2007 X-ray machine procurement project at the Health Ministry, as a suspect.

The anti-graft body earlier said it found indications of significant price markups in the procurement project. The KPK said the project, which was worth Rp 15.7 billion (around US$1.3 million), may have caused Rp 4.8 billion in losses to the state. (dre)