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Setya's pretrial hearing adjourned until next week
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Sole judge Kusno leads a hearing pertaining to a pretrial motion by graft suspect Setya Novanto at the South Jakarta District Court on Nov. 30. (Antara/Aprilio Akbar)
T
he South Jakarta District Court judge has adjourned a hearing for a pretrial motion filed by embattled House of Representatives Speaker and Golkar Party chairman Setya Novanto to challenge his suspect status in the e-ID graft case.
Sole judge Kusno postponed the hearing on Thursday on account of the absence of representatives from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).
"I conclude that the hearing must be adjourned until Dec. 7. The KPK must be summonsed immediately," Kusno said.
The KPK had sent a letter to the court requesting a three-week hearing postponement, citing that its side would need more time to prepare all necessary documents, Kusno added.
The request, however, was met by resistance from Setya's lawyers.
"Latest media reports indicate that the KPK is preparing to hand over our client's case to the corruption court. We see the postponement as their strategy," lawyer Ketut Mulya Arsana said.
Pressure has been mounting for the KPK to complete its investigation into Setya and hand over the case to the Jakarta Corruption Court before the pretrial judge reaches a decision -- a move that would declare the pretrial motion null and void.
The KPK renamed Setya a suspect in the case, which has reportedly caused Rp 2.3 trillion (US$170 million) in state losses.
He was granted his first pretrial motion against the agency’s decision to name him a suspect in late September. (rin)
