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Hearing reveals parties that allegedly intimidated witness in e-ID case
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Suspected: Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigators Novel Baswedan (right), Ambarita Damanik (second right) and M. Irwan Santoso (left) prepare to give testimony in an e-ID graft case hearing on March 30.
(Antara/Sigid Kurniawan)
T
he third hearing in the e-ID graft case trial on Thursday revealed parties that allegedly attempted to influence the Corruption Eradication Commission’s (KPK) investigation into the case implicating high-profile figures.
Testifying as a witness in the hearing, KPK investigator Novel Baswedan said former House of Representatives member Miryam S. Haryani, who had been questioned as a witness in the case several times, had received threats from at least five House members.
They were allegedly Golkar Party politicians Bambang Soesatyo and Aziz Syamsuddin; Desmond Junaidi Mahesa of the Gerindra Party; Masinton Masaribu of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P); and Hanura Party politician Sarifuddin Sudding.
Novel told the court Miryam admitted she had received dirty money from the project and revealed the names of other House lawmakers who had allegedly received money from the project.
Novel said during her questioning, Miryam told him she had received threats from the five politicians. “She was asked not to admit [to KPK investigators] that she had received money [from the project]."
The KPK questioned Miryam in connection to the e-ID case four times. She was last questioned in December before the two suspects in the case, namely the Home Ministry’s director for civil registry, Irman, and Sugiharto, the ministry’s official in charge of the e-ID project tender worth Rp5.9 trillion ($440 million), stood trial.
The KPK has also named businessman Andi Agustinus aka Andi Narogong a suspect in the case. Andi is believed to be a close friend of House Speaker and Golkar Party chairman Setya Novanto. (ebf)
