Investigating Alleged Whoosh Project, KPK Sniffs State Land Sold to State

Acting Deputy For Enforcement And Execution Of The KPK Asep Guntur Rahayu/PHOTO: Wardhany Tsa Tsia-VOI

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) suspects that a party is causing state losses in the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail project, Whoosh.

Asep Guntur Rahayu, Acting Deputy for Enforcement and Execution at the KPK, stated that this suspicion was uncovered during the ongoing investigation. He said that someone is manipulating state-owned land to sell it back to the state for profit.

"There are certain individuals, the people involved, who are supposed to be state property, but they are selling it back to the state," Asep told reporters at the KPK's Merah Putih building in Kuningan Persada, South Jakarta, on Monday, November 10.

"So, we're not taking issue with Whoosh, but based on this report, we believe that state property was sold back to the state in this land acquisition," he continued.

Asep stated that such incidents are detrimental to state finances, as the land acquisition process can be more affordable.

However, Asep did not specify the parties, as the investigation is still ongoing. Likewise, which land acquisition is problematic?

"Well, regarding which land acquisition is involved, whether it's in Halim or in Bandung, in the Tegalluar area, we'll wait and see," emphasized Asep, who also serves as the Corruption Eradication Commission's Director of Investigations.

As previously reported, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is investigating alleged corruption in the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail project, Whoosh. This process has reportedly been ongoing since the beginning of the year.

Whoosh serves the Jakarta-Bandung route, covering 142.3 kilometers with a travel time of approximately 30–45 minutes. It will be operational starting in October 2023, after being inaugurated by the 7th President of the Republic of Indonesia, Joko Widodo (Jokowi). This project is a collaboration between the Indonesian and Chinese governments.

The project's value at that time was only targeted at US$5.13 billion, or approximately Rp82.08 trillion. However, this figure swelled by 1.2 billion US dollars to 7.27 billion US dollars or equivalent to Rp. 115 trillion assuming a US dollar exchange rate of Rp. 16 thousand.