TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Former president director of PT Sucofindo (Persero) Arief Safari claimed that he never knew nor met Setya Novanto. Arief was questioned by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) today as a witness in the electronic-ID card procurement corruption trial.

"I was only asked about Pak Setnov (Setya Novanto). I never met him, I never knew him, that's all," Arief said after being examined at the KPK building in Jakarta, Tuesday, August 15.

Read: KPK to Question Setya Novanto as Suspect in E-KTP Graft Case

Arief also denied Sucofindo received money from the e-ID project as the Jakarta Corruption Court's judges decided against defendant Irman and Sugiharto. He said Sucofindo only worked to provide technical guidance and mentoring in the project.

Arief Safari also testified in the trial's hearing with Irman and Sugiharto on Thursday, May 4. When asked by prosecutors about the profits his company received in e-ID card project, Arief said that in 2011 Sucofindo actually assessed that they would have lost money if they only relied on work related to the consortium. The profits of more than Rp8 billion, Arief said, was actually made from doing additional tasks.

Read: E-KTP Case: Rindoko Dahono Denies Meeting Setya Novanto

Sucofindo is a member of the Consortium of the State Printing Company of the Republic of Indonesia (PNRI) which won the tender for e-ID procurement project in the Ministry of Home Affairs. In the verdict against Irman and Sugiharto, Sucofindo was said to have received Rp8.23 billion related to the e-ID project that used Rp5.95 trillion of the state budget.

The KPK on Monday, July 17, named House of Representatives speaker Setya Novanto as a suspect in the alleged e-ID card procurement corruption, which was handled by the Home Affairs Ministry in 2011 and 2012. He is charged with abusing his authority and position to enrich himself, other people, or a corporation that resulted in a state loss of at least Rp2.3 trillion.

ANTARA | ARKHELAUS W