KPK Tells Setya Novanto to Get Over Rejected Pretrial Motion

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) spokesman Febri Diansyah has told the suspect in the electronic ID cards (e-KTP) graft case Setya Novanto to get over the rejected pretrial motion.

“I think the past is over when the decision on the pretrial motion is made,” Febri said at the KPK building in South Jakarta on December 14.

Read: Court Denies Setya Novanto's Pretrial Motion

Setya Novanto lawyer Maqdir Ismail earlier questioned the KPK’s ‘hasty’ decision to hand over his client’s dossier to public prosecutors. He said that the KPK on Tuesday asked Setya’s defense lawyers to hand over the dossier in the second phase of the investigation to be forwarded to the public prosecutors. The dossier was handed over the next day at 10 am Jakarta time and be submitted to the court at 3 pm.

Febri said he did not understand the problem with the handover. He believes that the KPK had followed the procedures. “Once the dossier is completed, there is one reason for the KPK to hold the dossier. And the KUHAP [the Criminal Procedures Code] also allows it,” he said.

Setya Novanto is a suspect in the e-KTP graft case that caused Rp2.3 trillion in state losses. Setya’s pretrial motion was rejected by sole judge Kusno in a hearing at South Jakarta District Court yesterday.

Kusno referred to Article 82 (1) of the Criminal Procedures Code and the Constitutional Court ruling as stated by expert witness Zainal Arif Muchtar, who said that a pretrial motion shall become null and void once the trial session of a subject matter is open to the public.

LANI DIANA WIJAYA