Questioned: Former House of Representatives speaker Setya Novanto (pictured) talked to journalists after he conveyed his resignation speech in a plenary meeting at the House complex in Senayan, Central Jakarta, on Dec
span class="caption">Questioned: Former House of Representatives speaker Setya Novanto (pictured) talked to journalists after he conveyed his resignation speech in a plenary meeting at the House complex in Senayan, Central Jakarta, on Dec.18, 2015. The Attorney General's Office (AGO) is set to question the Golkar Party politician over his involvement in an alleged conspiracy related to gold and copper mining firm Freeport's contract extension negotiations on Wednesday. (Kompas.com/Ihsanuddin)
The Attorney General's Office (AGO) is set to question former House of Representatives speaker Setya Novanto for a second time on Wednesday. He will be questioned over an alleged conspiracy surrounding gold and copper mining firm Freeport's contract extension negotiations, which involved oil tycoon Muhammad Reza Chalid.
'Yes, it's correct. Pak Setya Novanto will be questioned again today [Wednesday],' said junior attorney for special crimes at the AGO, Arminsyah, as quoted by kompas.com.
Separately, Setya's lawyer, Maqdir Ismail, said his client had confirmed that he would answer the AGO summons. 'He should have arrived at the AGO by Wednesday morning,' said Maqdir, adding that the House lawmaker would be accompanied by only his staff members in today's questioning.
Setya previously attended questioning last Thursday. In that session, he was questioned about his meeting with Riza and Freeport president director Maroef Arminsyah. During the questioning Setya denied the voice heard in an audio recording of the meeting was his.
'He denied it. He said it was not his voice,' said Arminsyah as quoted by kompas.com at his office after Setya's questioning on Thursday.
Arminsyah said, however, that the AGO did not call into question Setya's answers in the questioning. He said it was Setya's right to answer all investigators' questions howsoever he liked. The most important thing was that AGO investigators would continue to seek evidence, which could reveal whether there was a conspiracy in Freeport's contract extension negotiations.
Arminsyah said investigators had asked an expert from the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) and Maroef to listen to the recording. Both witnesses said that the voice was that of Setya.
'We will hold on to information given by our expert witness and Pak Maroef, a witness in the case,' said Arminsyah, adding that investigators had not yet drafted a plan to confront the expert witness and Maroef with Setya.
Setya failed to meet three AGO summons before he finally agreed to attend his questioning for the first time last Thursday. (ebf)(+)
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