Setya Novanto’s case should remain true: Setara

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Parties and officials investigating a case involving PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI) and House of Representatives Speaker Setya Novanto should keep their integrity intact by committing to revealing nothing but the truth, the Setara Institute stated on Thursday.

Setara chairman Hendardi said the case indicated a conspiracy leading to gratification.

“It shows that House Speaker Setya Novanto abused his power to serve his own interests while working for the nation,” he said as the House ethics council (MKD) was questioning PTFI president director Maroef Sjamsoeddin.

Maroef was questioned as a witness for Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Sudirman Said, who reported Setya to the MKD for an alleged ethics violation.

In his report, Sudirman handed over a transcript and audio recording of an alleged conversation between Setya and Maroef at a meeting that was also apparently attended by oil businessman Riza Chalid at a hotel in Jakarta on June 8.

The transcript suggests that Setya promised to facilitate negotiations on the extension of Freeport’s mining contract, which expires in 2021, provided that Freeport gave 11 percent of the shares in the mining company to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and 9 percent to Vice President Jusuf Kalla.

Hendardi said that the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in particular should not wait too long to investigate the case. The KPK should immediately investigate the parties possibly involved in the case, he said.

“The House ethics council should also prevent any intervention directed at them. They should be able to reveal the truth,” Hendardi said in a press statement.

According to Hendardi, House officials also needed to be reminded not to hamper MKD’s attempt to get to the bottom of the alleged breach. They should remember that if they take the wrong path by protecting Setya, the public will remember them as politicians or parties that tainted the House, he said.

He added that the faction of the Golkar Party, of which Setyas is a member, should not restrain the movement of the MKD.

“Public will leave Golkar’s side if they keep hampering the settlement process,” said Hendardi.