KPK grills transportation ministry official over graft case

Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigators questioned Nugroho Indriyo, secretary at the directorate general of railways Thursday, in connection with a graft case with regard to the transfer of used electric trains from Japan between 2006 and 2007.

“The official was quizzed as a witness,” KPK spokesman Johan Budi told Antara state news agency. He refused to provide details of the questioning.

Nugroho was interviewed for about two hours as the KPK was seeking more insight into the Japanese grant.

The investigators have named the director general of railways, Soemino Eko Saputro, a suspect in the case, which is believed to have caused Rp 11 billion (US$1.18 million) in state losses from a markup in the shipping costs of the used trains from Japan to Indonesia.

Japan handed over the trains to Indonesia after the East Asian country imposed a ban on the use of refrigerant gas, such as Freon, in public transportation.