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Setya Novanto reiterates innocence over graft accusations
Golkar Party chairman Setya Novanto reached out to his party fellows to get their support amid the ongoing trial of a corruption case related to the million dollar electronic identity card (e-KTP) procurement project for which he is implicated.
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Mutual benefit – Golkar Party chairman Setya Novanto (second from left) and the party’s secretary general Idrus Marham (left) talk with Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri (second from right) and the party’s secretary general Hasto Kristiyanto in Jakarta on Nov. 20, 2016. (Antara/Akbar Nugroho Gumay)
G
olkar Party chairman Setya Novanto reached out to his party fellows to get their support amid the ongoing trial of a corruption case related to the million dollar electronic identity card (e-KTP) procurement project for which he is implicated. This is apparently a part of the politician’s efforts to secure his leadership seat that is at stake due to the alleged graft case.
Setya claimed he was innocent of any misdeeds. He asked Golkar party members, especially leaders of the party's provincial branches who have the right to cast votes in selecting party leadership, to ignore any circulating information about his alleged involvement in the graft case, which he referred to as a “rumor”.
“It's not true,” Setya told a party gathering in Central Jakarta on Thursday. “I did not receive [the money]. It is also not true that I met with Anas Urbaningrum or other individuals [implicated in the case].”
(Read also: House speaker denies involvement in e-KTP graft case)
Anas Urbaningrum was former Democratic Party chairman, who was reportedly involved in the e-KTP graft case. Apart from Setya and Anas, several other party elites were also implicated in the graft case, which resulted in more than Rp 2 trillion (US$149.55 million) in state losses.
The people involved include Olly Dondokambey and Ganjar Pranowo of the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), Teguh Juwarno of the National Mandate Party (PAN) and Taufiq Effendi of the Democratic Party, who also once served as an administrative and bureaucratic reform minister.
To ensure solid internal support for him, Setya further told his audience, “I have visited regional offices and asked all of them to ignore the rumors [about my alleged involvement]”. (ebf)
