House’s Ethics Council Chairman Sufmi Dasco Ahmad said the council was now looking at whether Fadli had committed an ethics breach by signing and sending a letter to the KPK asking it to halt Setya's case in his capacity as a deputy House speaker. 

Setya, who serves as House speaker, has been named a suspect in a high-profile graft case surrounding the national project to procure electronic identification (e-ID) cards.

Antigraft activists grouped under the Indonesian Anti-corruption Community (MAKI) have reported Fadli to the House’s ethics council for allegedly abusing his position to help Setya. 

 “The harshest punishment that can be imposed on him if found guilty is being removed from his position,” Dasco said Thursday. “This happened to [former House speaker] Ade Komaruddin previously,” he added.

Dasco, a politician from the Gerindra Party, of which Fadli is also a member, said that Ade, a Golkar Party politician, was removed from his position last year after he was found guilty of abusing his position to influence a budget deliberation.

In his defense, Fadli said he had sent the letter on behalf of Setya as a “member of the public” not as a deputy House speaker. In the letter, Setya requested the KPK suspend his investigation until the South Jakarta District Court had issued a ruling on his pre-trial motion challenging the KPK’s decision to name him a corruption suspect. (ary)

Popular

RI, Australia strengthen partnership on taxing crypto assets

Analysis: Indonesia denies normalization with Israel to enter OECD

Citroen to produce electric cars in Indonesia