Coordinating Minister for Politics, Legal and Security Affairs Luhut Panjaitan denied allegations that he met with the attorney of House of Representatives Speaker Setya Novanto.

Luhut testified at the House ethics council on Monday that he had not recently met with Lucas, Setya's attorney. Council member Ahmad Akbar had asked Luhut if he had met with Lucas on Dec. 9 at midnight.

"I sleep at 9:30 p.m. Even when President [Joko "Jokowi" Widodo] calls at 10 p.m. I am already asleep. I am not crazy to meet Lucas in the middle of the night," he told the council panel.

Luhut slammed the council for asking the question during the hearing.

"I am disappointed that kind of question is put forward in this room. That is the kind of news that could destroy this country," he said.

Luhut was summoned as a witness in the hearing to probe alleged ethical misconduct by Setya. He testified at the hearing as his name was mentioned 66 times in a recorded conversation between Setya, oil businessman Muhammad Reza Chalid and president director of PT Freeport Indonesia Maroef Sjamsoeddin.

Setya and Reza told Maroef that they had a close relationship with Luhut and could ask for help from the former army general in dealing with Jokowi.

Setya is at the epicenter of the case for allegedly misusing the names of Jokowi and Vice President Jusuf Kalla in asking for shares from Freeport in return for accelerating the extension of the company's mining contract.

The council started the probe into Setya's alleged misconduct after Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Sudirman Said reported Setya to the council.

Besides summoning Luhut on Monday, the council also summoned Reza, but to no avail, as the businessman had fled overseas earlier this month. (rin)(+)

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