Indonesian watchdog names parliamentarian as suspect in corruption case

JAKARTA (Reuters) – Indonesia's anticorruption agency is investigating a member of parliament for allegedly causing state losses of at least 2.3 trillion rupiah ($173 million) during the implementation of a national electronic identity card, it said on Monday.

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) identified the politician only by the initials "SN," which local media took to be Setya Novanto, speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR) and chairman of Indonesia's second-biggest political party, Golkar.

KPK Chairman Agus Rahardjo said "SN" is suspected to have abused his authority to benefit himself or others while the electronic identity card, locally known as e-KTP, was put in place in 2011 and 2012.

Novanto did not respond to requests for comment.

Golkar's secretary general, Idrus Marham, said late on Monday that the party's support for Widodo's re-election bid in 2019 remains unchanged.

KPK has been investigating allegations that sums ranging from $5,000 to $5.5 million - money generated by marking up the costs of the e-KTP procurement were divided up in a room in parliament.

In March, two public servants on trial for corruption linked to the case identified at least 37 people, including Novanto, who they said had benefited.

Novanto denied that, saying at the time: "The contents of the indictment that mentions my name and others is absolutely wrong and all parties must look at the facts from the trial and... allow the judges to be independent and impartial."