"The budget key was in the hand of Setya Novanto. If Setya Novanto is with us, the lawmakers of Commission II ( of Parliament) would follow suit," Irman quoted Andi Agustinus, a businessman also a suspect in the corruption case.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Former Director General of Population and Civil Registration Irman told the court on Monday Chairman of the Golkar faction in the Parliament now House Speaker Setya Novanto was the key in facilitating the project of electronic ID card procurement, that turned out one of the biggest scandals in the country unveiled by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

"The budget key was in the hand of Setya Novanto. If Setya Novanto is with us, the lawmakers of Commission II ( of Parliament) would follow suit," Irman quoted Andi Agustinus, a businessman also a suspect in the corruption case, as saying at a meeting.

Andi suggested that Irman and Sugiharto, another senior official of the Home Affairs Ministry under the previous government, meet Setya Novanto first.

A meeting was then held later at the Grand Melia Hotel in Jakarta in mid 2010 together with Sugiharto, and Secretary General of Home Affairs Ministry Diah Anggraini, Andi Agustinus and Setya Novanto.

Around a week after the Melia Hotel meeting, Andi asked Irman to join him to another meeting with Setya Novanto that took place at at Novantos office room at Parliament.

At the meeting they talked about how discussion on the budget fund could be facilitated at Parliament.

Setya Novanto, when questioned as a witness by KPK, denied that there was such meetings, despite confirmation by Diah and Sugiharto.

In the indictment prepared by the KPK public prosecutors, Setya Novanto had a key role in the e-ID card procurement project, which was worth Rp5.95 trillion with more than Rp2.5 trillion of which were allegedly embezzled.

The involvement of Setya Novanto in the big scandal as confirmed by his participation at the Grand Melia hotel meeting with Irman, Sugiharto, Andi Agustinus and Diah Anggraini, and the meeting in his own office as chairman of Golkar faction. Later he met several times with Andi Agustinus , Anas Urbaningrum, former general Chairman of the then ruling Democrat Party, and Nazaruddin , former lawmaker and treasurer of the Democrat Party. Both Anas and Nazaruddin are serving jail term for graft cases in sport facility projects.

More than 50 lawmakers and former lawmakers and former Home Affairs Minister are implicated in the e-ID card procurement case.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2017