Jakarta. The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) said it will summon anyone who may have relevant knowledge in the alleged mark-up case involving the Jakarta–Bandung “Whoosh” high-speed rail project, signaling that no figures will be treated as untouchable as investigators work to validate evidence.

KPK confirmed the probe has been ongoing since early 2025 and is still in the preliminary investigation phase, which focuses on determining whether a criminal act took place. Because of that status, the commission declined to reveal names of figures already questioned or those who will be summoned next.

“We assure you the KCIC case investigation continues to progress. The team is still tracing and gathering information from parties believed to know the matter,” KPK spokesperson Budi Prasetyo told reporters at the agency’s headquarters in South Jakarta on Friday.

Responding to widespread public speculation, Budi said the KPK cannot disclose whether former president Joko "Jokowi" Widodo is among those who may be summoned. However, he underscored that the commission keeps multiple reporting channels open for the public to submit data and documents, which will be verified and followed up if relevant. Jokowi was the head of government who endorsed, green-lit, and oversaw the execution and eventual launch of Indonesia’s first high-speed rail.

“All information from the public becomes enrichment material for the team,” he said, adding that witnesses who have been questioned so far have remained cooperative.

The Whoosh project, the first bullet train in Indonesia and Southeast Asia, has been under scrutiny since before it opened to passengers in October 2023. The project cost stands at around $7.27 billion, with about 75 percent financed through a loan from China Development Bank at an annual interest rate of 2 percent.

The financing burden continues to be debated. President Prabowo Subianto will hold a special meeting with related ministers and agencies to discuss the project’s debt structure, Chief Economic Affairs Minister Airlangga Hartarto confirmed this week. The most contentious unanswered question: how the jumbo debt, plus roughly Rp 2 trillion in annual interest, will be paid.

Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa said the state budget will not cover the project’s liabilities, arguing the responsibility lies with Danantara, the sovereign wealth fund overseeing the KCIC consortium. Danantara executives say they remain aligned with the government and are exploring options, including potential debt tenor extensions currently on the table from Beijing, from 40 years to as long as 60 years, as negotiations with China continue.

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