T

he Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) may indict House of Representatives Speaker Setya Novanto days before a Jakarta district court issues a ruling on his second pre-trial motion challenging the antigraft body’s decision to rename him a suspect in the e-ID graft case.

The KPK said it had completed the case dossier on the Golkar Party chairman and had submitted it to the Jakarta Corruption Court for trial.

“Yes, we will take the dossier to the Central Jakarta District Court today as it has been completed,” KPK deputy chairman Laode Muhammad Syarif told reporters on Wednesday, referring to the location of the Jakarta Corruption Court.

Submitting Setya’s case to the court is a step forward in the KPK’s attempt to prosecute the senior politician, who has built a reputation as a “teflon” politician for his ability to escape prosecution despite being implicated in a number of graft cases.

According to Criminal Code Procedures, a formal accusation against a suspect in court, or an indictment, would invalidate any legal attempt to overturn the suspect’s status.

The dossier was submitted only hours after the antigraft body confirmed on Tuesday evening that investigators had completed the case file on the graft suspect in the e-ID case, which caused Rp 2.3 trillion (US$170 million) in state losses.

The antigraft body did not have to wait long as investigators handed over the suspect and evidence to KPK prosecutors after submitting the dossier.

“The dossier had been completed as of last night, but we are giving the opportunity for the suspect to be accompanied by his lawyers,” KPK spokesman Febri Diansyah told The Jakarta Post.

Setya’s lawyers, Fredrich Yunadi and Otto Hasibuan, arrived at the KPK in Jakarta on Wednesday morning to accompany their client at the handover. They were accompanied by two other lawyers, namely Firman Wijaya and Maqdir Ismail, who have joined the team of lawyers representing Setya.

“I joined the team around two weeks ago because of a request from Pak Setya Novanto,” Maqdir said upon leaving the KPK.

The KPK eventually submitted the case to the Corruption Court after weeks of mounting pressure from the public and activists, who called for the antigraft body to submit the case against Setya to the Corruption Court.

Setya won his first pretrial motion in late September on the KPK’s decision to name him a suspect. The KPK renamed Setya a suspect on Nov. 10.

Last Thursday, the sole judge at the South Jakarta District Court adjourned the first hearing of the pretrial motion until Dec. 7, because of the absence of KPK representatives at the hearing.

The KPK, however, stated that they would not back down from the pretrial courtroom as Laode said the antigraft body would be ready to face anything decided by the court.

KPK’s readiness to face hearings both at the pretrial and Corruption Court was echoed by Febri, who asserted that “the antigraft body’s legal team will come tomorrow [Thursday].”

Should the KPK be present at the first hearing on Thursday, the pretrial will proceed accordingly until sole presiding judge Kusno issues a ruling whether to accept or reject the motion next week.

Supreme Court spokesperson Abdullah explained, however, that the first hearing of the case at the Central Jakarta District Court should be held soon after the court received the case.

“Upon receiving the case, the head of the court will immediately appoint the judges who will handle the case and give them the dossier. He or she will also schedule the first hearing that should be between three to seven days after receiving the case,” Abdullah told the Post.