House Speaker Named Suspect In Long Running e-KTP Corruption Case

Speaker of the House of Representatives Setya Novanto has been named a suspect in one of the country’s largest corruption cases in years. Novanto was named a suspect by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on Monday, July 17, following an investigation into the e-KTP, or electronic identification card, procurement and roll- out, which has swept up several high ranking officials across the country. “(Novanto) allegedly abused his authority and position for personal gain or for the interest of a corporation,” KPK Chief Agus Rahardjo said Monday. The arrest follows months of speculation after Novanto was fingered during an indictment made by two other suspects in March. Irman and Sugiharto, two high-ranking officials from within the Home Ministry, pointed to Novanto and two former Democrat Party politicians, Anas Urbaningrum and Muhammad Nazaruddin. The speaker, who is also the current Chairman of the Golkar Party, is suspected of having received kickbacks in the programme. The special anti- corruption court believes more than one-third of the Rp. 5.9 trillion (US$443 million) allocated to the massive project has been embezzled by lawmakers and businesspeople from 2009 to 2015, according to a report from French news agency Agence France Presse. This is the second time Novanto has found himself under scrutiny in recent years, after a recording of him attempting to extort US mining giant Freeport-McMoran saw him forced to quit as speaker of the House in 2015. He was eventually cleared and reappointed to the post the following year.