House Speaker's Case Must Be Settled

Depok, West Java (Antara Bali) - The chairman of the Students' Executive Body of state Indonesia University (BEM UI), Andi Aulia Rahman, has called for immediate settlement of the case involving House Speaker Setya Novanto.

"As part of the people of Indonesia, I ask Setya Novanto to resign from his post as House Speaker and parliament (DPR) member because he has violated social norm to hurt the public sense of justice," he said to newsmen here on Wednesday.

Aulia urged the government to bring the case to justice to show  the government's commitment to corruption eradication. So the case must not only be referred to the parliament's ethics council (MKD), he added.

Criminal law expert of Indonesia University Akhiar Salmi said the Attorney General Office must be pushed to unveil the case and enforce the law.

"If two pieces of evidence have been found they could move the process from investigation to the court of law," he said.

Akhiar has criticized the MKD for having conducted a session with Setya Novanto behind closed doors.  

"This could create a big question for the public as two earlier sessions have been carried out openly. It may bring a negative impression on the public," he said.

Energy and mineral resource minister Sudirman Said has reported Setya Novanto to MKD for having allegedly exploited the names of the President and the Vice President over contract of PT Freeport Indonesia.

The minister has submitted the recording of the conversation Setya Novanto had had with president director of PT Freeport, Maroef Sjamsoeddin, and businessman M Riza Chalid to MKD as evidence.

Sudirman Said and Maroef Sjamsoeddin have been questioned by MKD in open sessions. Setya Novanto has also been summoned by MKD but the session with him has been done behind closed doors.

Setya Novanto has rejected to answer any question because he considered the recording was obtained illegally. He also declared he was not guilty. (WDY)