TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A leaked letter may impact the legal case against Setya Novanto. Fredrich Yunadi, the lawyer representing the House of Representatives (DPR) Speaker, said he was upset upon discovering that a notification letter marking the start of a criminal investigation into Setya¡¯s involvement in the electronic ID card (e-KTP) corruption case was being circulated in a number of WhatsApp groups for journalists last Monday.

The letter for Setya Novanto, dated November 3, and signed by Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Director of Criminal Investigation Aris Budiman also contained a summons for Setya to testify on his own behalf. "If the letter is indeed authentic, why won’t the KPK simply admit it?" said Fredrich last week.

The KPK has announced Setya’s new suspect status in the e-KTP corruption case, but the agency denies having leaked the summons letter. "We can’t disclose the source of the letter," said KPK spokesman Febri Diansyah.

Read: Golkar Politician Asks Setya Novanto to Surrender to KPK

Fredrich, as Setya’s lawyer, said he never received the summons letter. KPK Deputy Chairman Saut Situmorang rebutted this by saying that the KPK had already sent the letter to Setya’s address in Jalan Wijaya, South Jakarta.

A KPK official assured that the letter in question was not distributed by anyone from the agency. In the photo in circulation, the letter had creases on it from being put into an envelope, which means that the letter had already been sent by the KPK to the recipient’s address.

The letter mentions Setya’s suspected involvement in corruption, along with Quadra Solution CEO Anang Sugiana Sudihardjo, businessman Andi Agustinus and former home ministry official Irman.

Anang was named suspect and arrested last Thursday, while Andi Agustinus is still being tried at the Corruption Court and Irman has been sentenced to seven years in prison.

Fredrich believes that the KPK’s admission in regard to the summons letter’s circulation is a crucial element in halting the procedure for issuing an investigation warrant. He plans to file a legal challenge against the letter naming Setya Novanto suspect a second time in a pre-trial motion. According to Fredrich, Setya’s nomination as suspect at the start of an investigative process is invalid, as it was ruled by Judge Cepi Iskandar.

Read the full article in this week's edition of Tempo English Magazine