Disgraced former House of Representatives speaker and graft convict Setya Novanto said he had been trying to collect debts from friends to repay the US$7.3 million he embezzled from the national e-ID project.
isgraced former House of Representatives speaker and graft convict Setya Novanto said he had been trying to collect debts from friends to repay the US$7.3 million he embezzled from the national e-ID project.
His efforts, however, have not been successful.
“Those who owe [me money] run away, leaving [me]. I’m surprised too,” he said as quoted by kompas.com on Tuesday.
The former Golkar Party chairman said he would have to sell off his assets if the people who owed him did not pay their debts.
“Now I am an ordinary citizen. When I was a House speaker, it’s surely easy to talk [to people],” he said.
On April 24, the Jakarta Corruption Court sentenced Setya to 15 years in prison for his role in the e-ID graft case. The court also ordered him to pay Rp 500 million ($33,670) in fines and restitution amounting to S$7.3 million.
Setya previously stated his ability to pay the restitution in installments.
Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) spokesman Febri Diansyah said the commission's asset tracking and evidence management unit was identifying the assets that belonged to Setya.
The KPK said Setya had made three installments so far: Rp 5 billion during the trial, around $100,000 in June, and Rp 1.1 billion last week.
The state will seize his assets and auction them if Setya cannot pay off the restitution. (sau/ahw)
Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.