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Ethics Council backs Setya despite suspect status
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Injured: Fredrich Yunadi, the lawyer of House of Representatives Speaker Setya Novanto, shows a picture of his client undergoing medical treatment at Medika Permata Hijau after he got into a car accident on Thursday evening. (The Jakarta Post/Wendra Ajistyatama)
T
he House of Representatives' ethics council (MKD) has decided not to dismiss Speaker Setya Novanto even though he has been named a graft suspect and included on the Corruption Eradication Commission’s (KPK) most-wanted list.
The MKD claimed that Setya was still a suspect and the KPK investigation was ongoing.
“We're still waiting for the final result of the investigation. We will use the result to determine [Setya's fate],” MKD deputy chairman Adies Kadir said on Thursday after the ethics council meeting.
He admitted that there was a heavy debate among members in the meeting about what they should do for Setya since his whereabouts were unknown on Thursday afternoon. He had dodged KPK summonses, playing hide and seek with the KPK, citing many reasons, from illness to immunity, to avoid questioning.
The Golkar Party chairman then reportedly got into a car accident on Thursday evening, resulting in injuries that required medical treatment.
Adies said the council had not yet been able to start an ethics hearing due to neither party submitting a report, adding, "If [Setya] has become a defendant or convict, then we can start investigating ethics violations."
Miko Susanto Ginting from the Center of Indonesian Legal and Policies Studies (PSHK) said the MKD should have taken action against Setya to save the dignity of the legislative body. "Setya's attempt to disappear and run away from the KPK can be constituted as disobeying the law," he said on Friday. (ebf)
