Setya cleared as suspect after winning against KPK

CORRUPTION ERADICATION COMMISSION - JAKARTA. Setya Novanto, the embattled House of Representatives speaker and Golkar Party chairman, has succeeded with a pretrial motion filed against the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in the high-profile e-ID card case.

South Jakarta District Court judge Cepi Iskandar declared that the court approved Setya’s pretrial motion challenging his suspect status.

“We declare invalid the suspect status against Setya Novanto […] dated July 17, 2017,” Cepi told the court on Friday, referring to the date of the letter ordering the start of the investigation or Sprindik.

The KPK had named Setya a suspect in the massive e-ID card project on July 17, accusing him of playing a leading role in a scheme to swindle funds earmarked for the project.

KPK legal bureau head Setiadi said he respected the verdict but added that the judge might not have been meticulous in making the decision.

However, he said the agency would study the verdict and hold a meeting with the commissioners and investigators on the next step for the antigraft body to take.

He said the KPK would refer to a 2016 Supreme Court regulation that allows investigators to issue a new letter ordering the start of an investigation after a suspect status is canceled in a pretrial hearing.

“But we need to coordinate first on the next steps we will take,” he said.