Golkar Party politician Setya Novanto. (tribunnews.com/Herudin)

The Golkar Party has exchanged three of its members of the House of Representatives'€™ ethics council as the council investigation of House speaker Setya Novanto, a Golkar Party'€™s politician, heats up.

The replacement was made, following similar moves by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), NasDem and the National Mandate Party (PAN), all a part of President Jokowi's Great Indonesian Coalition.

House ethics council chairman Surahman Hidayat said on Thursday that the three lawmakers, who were replaced , were council deputy chief Hardisoesilo and two other council members: Budi Supriyanto and Ridwan Bae.

He added that Hardisoesilo was replaced by Kahar Muzakir, Budi Supriyanto by Adies Kadier and Ridwan Bae by Dadang S. Muchtar.

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.

The issue has increased political tension in the capital after the opposition Read and While Coalition (KMP) expressed their support of Setya, while Jokowi's Great Indonesia Coalition pledged their support of the investigation.

The member replacement's were made after the council decided to continue the investigation with an open door session.

The council will hold an internal meeting to decide who will be summoned to testify during the council'€™s hearing that begins on Monday. (bbn)

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