Ruhut: AGO has Evidence Tying House Speaker to Freeport Scandal

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Democrat Party politician Ruhut Sitompul claimed that the Attorney General's Office (AGO) is in possession of two evidence - enough for the Prosecutors to start an investigation into the suspected corruption in the lobbies made by House of Representatives (House) Chairman, Setya Novanto. Sitompul also claimed that he maintains communication with Chief Prosecutor M. Prasetyo pertaining to the case, as they are both members of the House's Legal Commission.

"[Prasetyo] will act on these evidence, I'm sure of it. Especially considering that we already have two evidences," said Ruhut at the Parliamentary Complex on Tuesday, December 15, 2015. Ruhut also mentioned that he is certain that Novanto will be removed from his position as House Speaker. "If we lose at the Ethics Council, but the AGO names him as a suspect, then he will be removed from his position," Ruhut said.

Ruhut also called on his fellow legislators to draw the line between a recording, and wire-tapping - saying that there are no laws in place to forbid recordings, before making his support for PT Freeport Indonesia's President Director, Maroef Syamsuddin - who has recently made headlines for his refusal to allow the AGO to release the original recording to the Ethics Council. "He obviously knew how hostile the situation is - especially considering the behaviour of Ethics Councils members from the Golkar party in recent hearings," Ruhut said.

Previously, Setya Novanto's standing in the Parliament is challenged by the ethics violations alleged by the Minister for Energy and Mineral Resources, Sudirman Said. He has been broadly viewed to have violated the DPR's ethical code for meeting with the President Director of PT Freeport Indonesia, Maroef Syamsuddin, along with oil-tycoon, M Riza Chalid to discuss PT Freeport Indonesia's contract extensions. During the conversation, Novanto repeatedly cited President Joko Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla's names.

LINDA TRIANITA