Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) questioned Miryam S. Haryani, a former member of the Parliament and politician of the Hanura Party, over a graft case concerning the electronic-Identity (e-ID) card project.

"She is being grilled as a suspect for giving a fake testimony during a trial hearing of the e-ID card corruption case involving Irman and Sugiharto as suspects at Tipikor (court for corruption)," Febri Diansyah, a spokesman of the KPK, said here, Friday.

During a court hearing on March 30, 2017, Novel Baswedan, a senior investigator of the KPK, noted that Haryani had been pressured by several members of Commission III of the House of Representatives (DPR) to deny facts on the distribution of money from the e-ID card project.

According to Baswedan, Bambang Soesatyo of the Golkar Party, Desmond Junaidi Mahesa of Gerindra, Sarifuddin Suding of Hanura, and Masinton Pasaribu of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle were among the accused members.

The e-ID card project, worth some Rp5.9 trillion (nearly US$443 million) and being overseen by the Home Affairs Ministry, has encountered problems since it began in 2011.

In its early stage, the data recording equipment for the project had arrived late, and the project was hit by corruption allegations.

As the trial has been ongoing, testimonies by several witnesses have revealed a shocking allegation that some Rp2.3 trillion (some $172.5 million) of the projects funds were embezzled.

The corruption scandal allegedly involved officers of the Home Affairs Ministry and politicians serving as members of the DPR during the 2011-2012 period.

In early March, the KPK had said it was following up on a list of 38 names, so far, including current and former cabinet ministers and the speaker of Parliament for receiving kickbacks in the project.

According to some reports, those on the list include current Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly, Parliaments speaker concurrently Golkars Chairman Setya Novanto, and former home affairs minister Gamawan Fauzi.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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