From the time he was first elected as a House of Representative member in 1999, Setya Novanto had built reputation as one of the most powerful and influential politicians in the country. He gained notoriety for his ability to evade responsibility for legally questionable proceedings in which he was alleged to have been involved.

That reputation collapsed on Tuesday.

Judges at the Jakarta Corruption Court handed him a 15-year prison term after finding him guilty of playing a major role in the corruption case surrounding the e-ID procurement.

“Apart from the Rp 500 million [US$36,041] fines, the defendant is also ordered to pay restitution amounting to the $7.3 million he received in the case, reduced by the Rp 5 billion he has already returned to the Corruption Eradication Commission [KPK],” the presiding judge, Yanto, said as he read out the verdict on Tuesday.

Apart from the prison term and fines, the bench also stripped Setya of his political rights banning him from running for public office for five years after he has completed his sentence.

The punishment was in line with the sentence demanded by KPK prosecutors, except for the prison term, which was a year shorter than the 16 years sought by the antigraft body.

The judges concluded Setya had played a key role in the graft case as “he met and coordinated with certain parties related to the graft case, which facilitated the talk about the disbursement of illicit fees for him and other lawmakers,” Judge Frangki Tambuwun said.

The notorious politician was finally brought down by the e-ID graft case, which reportedly caused Rp 2.3 trillion in state losses, having previously avoided graft busters’ attempts to nail him down for months.

When the antigraft body named him a suspect in the e-ID case for the first time in July last year, he repeatedly skipped questioning by investigators citing health problems. He was even admitted to a hospital in Jakarta for multiple illnesses, including heart and kidney problems as well as vertigo.

The first attempt to name him a suspect failed before the KPK could bring the embattled politician to the court, as the South Jakarta District Court granted Setya’s pretrial challenge and annulled his suspect status
last August.

The ruling, however, did not stop the antigraft body renaming him a suspect in the case two months later. The politician once again tried his best to avoid the KPK’s legal proceedings against him through various ploys.

Apart from citing health problems, Setya also skipped questioning by claiming the antigraft body had to secure written permission from President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo before summoning a House lawmaker, as stipulated in the Legislative Institutions (MD3) Law. The KPK, along with several constitutional experts, successfully challenged this claim.

Setya then made his most barefaced maneuver only days after he was renamed suspect by the KPK, by disappearing from his home in Jakarta before graft busters came to arrest him on Nov. 15 for repeatedly evading interrogation.

He reappeared in a hospital bed a day later after he was reportedly involved in a car accident while on his way to attend a media interview. Despite his lawyer’s claim that Setya would need more time to recover from his injuries, the KPK detained him after doctors declared him fit for questioning.

Starting his political career in Golkar Party affliated Kosgoro in the mid-1970s, Setya first became a House lawmaker representing Golkar in 1999.

Setya was implicated in the case, which involved the transfer of Rp 546 billion from the bank to a company he controlled. He was, however, never charged in relation to the case.

Judging by his verdict hearing Setya’s political influence would appear to have evaporated as no Golkar politician was to be seen. The courtroom was only filled with journalists, members of the public and his relatives — including his wife Deisti Astriani Tagor who attended every hearing of her husband’s trial.

The situation was in contrast to the indictment hearing, where several Golkar officials such as Social Affairs Minister Idrus Marham and Azis Syamsuddin were seen in the court. Even Idrus attended the sentence demand hearing on March 31.

Setya tried to maintain that his influence in the party was undimmed. “There were a lot [of party members] standing in the back of the room although they didn’t wear the party’s uniform,” he told reporters in the courtroom.

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1999 Bank Bali scandal

Bank Bali pays Rp 546 billion (US$39.31 million) to PT Era Giat Prima (EGP), to help it recover loans owed by other banks. Setya, EGP’s president director, named a suspect but never charged

2003

Rice smuggling scandal 2006 Toxic waste import Setya accused of deliberately moving 60,000 tons of imported rice from a customs warehouse to a non-customs warehouse without paying the full import duties. He is only questioned once but never charged.

2006

Toxic waste import PT Asia Pasifi c Eco Lestari, a company allegedly owned by Setya, imports more than 1,000 tons of toxic waste from Singapore to Galang Island, Batam.

2012

Riau National Games (PON) scandal Former Democratic Party treasurer Nazarudin accuses Setya of being involved in the embezzlement of venue construction funds for the 2012 Riau PON amounting to $1 million. Setya is only called in as a witness and never prosecuted.

2015 ‘Papa Minta Saham’ scandal

A leaked recording reveals that Setya asked Freeport Indonesia president director Maroef Sjamsoeddin for 20 percent of the company’s shares, claiming that they were for President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla. The House Ethics Board convenes a hearing, but Setya resigns from his position as speaker before punishment is issued.

2017

e-ID graft case Nazarudin once again names Setya as a central fi gure behind the misappropriation of funds allocated for the Rp 5.8 trillion e-ID project. After a cumbersome legal process, Setya is found guilty and sentenced to 15 years in prison.

__________________________

Setya Novanto

DoB : Bandung, November 12, 1954
Education :
* Accounting Diploma, Widyamandala Surabaya University, 1979
* Bachelor of Economics, Trisakti University, 1983
Timeline:
* 1990-1994: Head of Golkar-affi liated Kosgoro Youth Movement
* 1998-2004 : Golkar Party deputy treasurer
* 1999-2014 : Member of House of Representatives
* 2009-2014 : Head of the Golkar Party faction in House
* Oct. 2, 2014 - Dec. 16, 2015: Speaker of House
* Nov. 30, 2016: Reinstated as House speaker
* 2016-2017 : Golkar Party chairman

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