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Judge appointed for Setya Novanto’s pretrial hearing
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Accused: House of Representatives Speaker and graft suspect Setya Novanto is escorted to attend questioning at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) offices in South Jakarta on Nov. 21. (The Jakarta Post/Wendra Ajistyatama)
T
he South Jakarta District Court has appointed Kusno as the sole judge to handle the pretrial hearing requested by House of Representatives Speaker and graft suspect Setya Novanto.
Kusno serves as the court’s deputy head.
“Yes, we have appointed judge Kusno,” Made Sutisna, the court’s spokesperson, said as quoted kompas.com in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Setya’s pretrial hearing is scheduled for Thursday.
Judge Kusno previously handled a pretrial motion requested by Irfan Kurnia Saleh, the director of military equipment supplier Diratama Jaya Mandiri. Irfan had filed a pretrial motion against being named a suspect by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in a case related to the purchase of an AgustaWestland helicopter. In the hearing, Kusno rejected the pretrial motion filed by the plaintiff.
Kusno reportedly stated in a hearing he presided that it did not matter whether investigators named someone a suspect at the beginning, in the middle or at the end of their investigation.
Unlike Kusno, Cepi Iskandar, who led the pretrial hearing requested by Setya in September, was of the opinion that investigators should have named the Golkar Party chairman a graft suspect at the end of their investigation rather than at the beginning.
Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) said the KPK had to be careful in responding to the pretrial motion filed by Setya. The corruption watchdog expressed concern about the track record of Kusno. “His siding with [efforts to] eradicate corruption is minimal,” said ICW activist Lalola Ester. (ebf)
