What Happens To Setya Novanto Now?

(AFP Photo/Andri Nurdriansyah)

Is he going to stay as the Speaker of the House of Representatives?

Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has named the Speaker of theHouse of Representatives and Golkar Party Chairman Setya Novanto a suspect in electronic ID card (e-KTP) procurement graft case on Monday after allegedly accepted Rp 574 billion from E-KTP corruption case.

Setya, however, denied he received the money.

Rp 574 billion is a really big amount of money. How did they transfer it? In what form? Setya said rethorically today.

According toHouse Deputy SpeakerFadli Zon, Setya still has the right to be the House's leader as long as the court hasn't issued a permanent legal verdict. Fadli added that Setya's status as suspect does not affect his position as the Speaker, according toLaw No. 17/ 2015 about Representative Institutions.

Besides, as long as there is no change from party and faction, there will be no change in Houseleadership, Fadli said today.

On the other hand,Golkar politician Ahmad Doli Kurnia urged Setya to resign from his positionboth in the party and the House.

Golkar should not let Setya Novantos personal affairs disturb the partys consolidation in dealing with the future strategic political agenda, Doli said to Kompas today.

Golkar Secretary General Idrus Marham also said they asked Golkar faction member in the House to study the notice that named Setya a suspect in e-KTP case.

We assigned Golkar factionin DPR to study the notice from KPK, Idrus said today.

Meanwhile, the anti-graft agency is firm in their standing that the Speaker was indeed involved in the case that has caused Rp 2.3 trillion of state losses in total.

There wasa close cooperation betweenSetya Novanto, Diah Anggraini, Djarat Wisnu, Isnu Edhi and Andi Agustinus or Andi Narogong, said KPK prosecutor Mufti Nur Irawan while reading the letter of notice on Monday.

Before being named as suspect in E-KTP corruption case, Setya had been linked to several other corruption cases, including a bribery case in National Sports Week in Riau and another bribery case in Constitutional Court that involved Former Chief Justice Akil Mochtar.

(brl/red)