The Chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), Agus Rahardjo, said on Friday (24/11) that KPK investigators are working hard to resolve the corruption case of the e-KTP project involving Setya Novanto, Chairman of the House of Representatives, as suspect. This endeavor is done so that Setya's files are immediately sent to the Corruption Court.

The accelerated process can be seen in KPK’s efforts to question Setya as a suspect in the e-KTP corruption case: three times within a week, Monday (20/11), Tuesday (21/11) and Thursday (23/11). KPK has also questioned Setya's wife Deistri Astriani Tagor and prevented her from traveling abroad.

In addition to accelerating the process to finalize the case file, the KPK has also been preparing for the second pre-trial motion submitted by Setya Novanto. KPK does not want to lose again in the pre-trial hearing, which is to be held on Thursday (30/11) at the South Jakarta District Court.

The second pre-trial motion of Setya Novanto is of course very worrying, as it is not impossible that Setya Novanto will lose his status as suspect once again. This is especially so, when looking at the track record of Judge Kusno (Vice Chairman of South Jakarta District Court), who will be the sole judge of the pre-trial application filed by Novanto,

The Indonesia Corruption Watch notes that when Kusno served as a judge of the Pontianak District Court, he acquitted four defendants of corruption cases, namely Dana Suparta, Muksin Syech M Zein and Riyu in the corruption case of Rural Infrastructure Development Program in Kapuas Hulu Regency in FY 2013 (decision dated 8 December 2015), and Suhadi Abdullani, a case of corruption in the purchase of land for the construction of an interstate terminal behind the Singkawang Main Terminal (decision dated 22 February 2017). In addition, on 13 April 2017, Judge Kusno has sentenced lightly a corruption defendant, Zulfadhli, with only a one-year sentence. Zulfadhli, a member of the House of Representatives (DPR RI), was indicted in a corruption case of West Kalimantan Provincial Social Aid for fiscal years 2006-2008, which allegedly harmed the state finances up to Rp 15 billion.

Seeing Judge Kusno's track record there is no other option for KPK other than to accelerate the process of submitting the Setya Novanto case file to the Corruption Court and at the same time close the chance of Setya Novanto of escaping from the legal process.

On the legal aspect, by immediately trying Setya Novanto in the Corruption Court, it is expected to accelerate the resolution of the alleged corruption in the e-KTP procurement project, which cost the state up to Rp 2.3 trillion. In addition to Setya Novanto, so far the anticorruption commission has named five persons as suspects. These include bureaucrats, the private sector and politicians. In addition, referring to the indictment of the KPK prosecutor, there are at least 52 persons who are allegedly benefited from this megaproject.

On the political aspect, the trial of Setya Novanto is expected to encourage the Golkar Party to remove him from his position as the Chairman of the Golkar Party; and also importantly, to put another, more credible, figure as Chairman of the House of Representatives. (Emerson)