TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has issued an overseas travel ban for nine individuals linked to the electronic ID card (e-KTP) graft case. One of them is the House of Representatives (DPR) Speaker Setya Novanto.

“Either a witness or a suspect is barred from leaving the country,” said the anti-graft agency's spokesman Febri Diansyah on Thursday, November 9.

Febri revealed that the move done by his office complies with the prevailing laws, “there are the KPK law and the Immigration law that clearly regulates the investigation and prosecution where KPK are able to order a travel ban on certain state instances,” he said.

Read: Police Chief: KPK Leaders Have Yet Named as Suspects

He explained that the anti-graft agency is authorized to ban Setya Novanto from leaving the country even though the court was in favor of Setya’s pretrial lawsuit.

According to Febri, Setya is banned from traveling overseas since he is linked to KPK’s investigation process towards a suspect with the initials ASS, which is a totally different subject with Setya’s pretrial lawsuit. He also guarantees that the anti-graft commission has not abused its authority.

Regarding the travel ban, Setya Novanto used it as a motive to report KPK Chairman Agus Rahardjo and Deputy Chairman Saut Situmorang to Police’s Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim). Setya Novanto accused both men of forging the overseas travel ban documents.

Kartika Anggraeni