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hursday’s court hearing of a corruption case surrounding the procurement of an e-ID system saw witnesses detailing the role of House of Representative Speaker Setya Novanto in the case, which has implicated dozens of politicians and businessmen.

Johanes Richard Tanjaya, who was presented by Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) prosecutors as a witness for defendants and former high-ranking Home Ministry officials Irman and Sugiharto, testified that Setya had accepted 7 percent of the Rp 5.9 trillion (US$442.5 million) allocated for the project.

“Bobby once said that SN got 7 percent,” said Johanes, a former director of PT Java Trade Utama, a company that previously handled a civil information system (SIAK) project for the Home Ministry.

The Bobby he referred to in his testimony is the nickname of his subordinate Jimmy Iskandar Tedjasusila.

When asked by the judges who “SN” was, Johanes said it was Setya Novanto.

It was the first time a witness testified under oath that Setya, who is also the chairman of the a Golkar Party, received a kickback in relation to the project.

KPK’s indictment of Irman and Sugiharto only indicates Setya’s alleged role as one of the scheme’s masterminds, but it stopped short of saying the seasoned politician had accepted a bribe.

The indictment also says that Rp 2.5 trillion, or almost half of the total value of the project, was earmarked for kickbacks meant for at least 37 lawmakers, government officials and businessmen.

Former Democratic Party lawmaker and graft convict Muhammad Nazaruddin has repeatedly accused Setya of orchestrating the illicit plan, but never made the same allegation in court.

Meanwhile, Bobby, who was also presented as a witness in the hearing, said he first learned of the scheme from one of Setya’s nephews, named Irvan Hendra Pambudi Cahyo.

“I was once having a chat with Irvan in his room. He told me that the fund [for the e-ID project] was big,” Bobby recalled.

“I said ‘how much?’ He said, ‘7 percent for Senayan.’”

Bobby claimed he did not know whom Irvan had meant by “Senayan,” but Johanes told the hearing it was code for Setya.

Senayan is an area in Central Jakarta in which the House of Representatives complex is located.

Irvan is the director of PT Murakabi Sejahtera, a company that joined one of three consortiums formed by Andi to bid for the e-ID project.

Johanes and Bobby were among several individuals who often attended meetings at a house in Fatmawati in South Jakarta to specifically talk about the e-ID project.

It is not yet clear who arranged the meetings, but according to the indictment of Irman and Sugiharto, the house belonged to Andi Agustinus, also known as Andi Narogong, a businessman who has also been named a suspect in the case.

Andi was alledgedly active in lobbying lawmakers to approve the e-ID budget.

Setya, meanwhile, has repeatedly denied he had accepted kickbacks from the project.

When presented as a witness in a hearing on April 6, the judge confronted him by asking whether it was true he had been aware of efforts to financially benefit from the e-ID project.

“That is not true, sir,” Setya responded.