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Ruling collation consolidates to press on with Setya investigation
Arif Wibowo
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Arif Wibowo.(Kompas.com/Abba Gabrillin) (Kompas.com/Abba Gabrillin)
Arif Wibowo. (Kompas.com/Abba Gabrillin)
Lawmakers from ruling parties in the Great Indonesian Coalition have consolidated to ensure that the case of House of Representatives Speaker Setya Novanto, who is being investigated by the House's ethics council for alleged misconduct, proceeds smoothly, following apparent attempts by their political rivals to stop the investigation.
The deputy chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P)'s faction in the House, Arif Wibowo, said on Thursday that members of the ruling coalition had agreed to support the investigation of Setya, who was accused of misusing the names of President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla.
'PDI-P and other members of the ruling collation have a stronger moral and political obligation than others to [sustain the investigation] on the alleged misuse of the President and Vice President's names,' said Arif as reported by kompas.com.
Energy and Mining Resources Minister Sudirman Said reported Setya to the ethics council last week for allegedly claiming to have won the approval of Jokowi and Kalla to secure shares and projects from PT Freeport Indonesia in exchange for helping the company extend its contract and continue operating its gold mine, one the world's largest, in Papua.
Meanwhile, leaders from the Red and White Coalition (KMP) met at the home of Gerindra Party patron Prabowo Subianto in Bogor, West Java, last Friday to express the opposition group's support of Setya, who is a Golkar Party politician.
Gerindra deputy chairman Fadli Zon said on Saturday that KMP supported Setya, because the transcripts and records of talks between Setya and Freeport representatives had been released by a private television station and were heavily edited.
In their effort to press on with the investigation of the case, some parties of the ruling coalition, including PDI-P, NasDem and the National Mandate Party (PAN), have replaced their respective members of the ethic council, so that they could voice stronger support for the investigation.
Arif said the consolidation was important, because there were efforts from opposition politicians to stop the investigation, such as a move by KMP lawmakers to question the legal standing of Minister Sudirman.
Previously, the ethics council had agreed to continue the investigation process and to hold open-door hearings in the case unless witnesses demanded close-door hearings. (bbn)(+)
