House Speaker Banned from Traveling

House Speaker Setya Novanto speaks to journalists over his response to the travel ban on him.

Jakarta, 15 Rajab 1438/12 april 2017 (MNA) – House Speaker Setya Novanto (Setnov) has been banned from traveling overseas for six months, Immigration Director General Ronny F Sompie said when contacted by ANTARA here on Tuesday.

“The Immigration Directorate General received a request for the overseas travel ban of Setnov. It is directly placed in the Immigrations Management and Information System effective for six months,” he stated.

Sompie however did not explain whether the request for the travel ban for Setnov also included the status of the House Speaker, who is still a witness in the high-profile corruption scandal in the procurement of electronic identity card (e-ID card) project now being investigated by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

“You better ask about it to the KPK investigators as they have the all the competence,” Rompie added.

In the indictment of the former director general of Citizenship and Civil Records of the Home Affairs Ministry, Irman, and former information management director at the Director General of Citizenship and Civil Records of the Home Affairs Ministry, Sugiharto, in an alleged corruption case in the procurement of the e-ID card project, the name of Setnov was often mentioned as one of the parties who played the role in the e-ID card procurement project with a total budget of Rp5.95 trillion.

The alleged corruption case is estimated to have incurred a loss of 2.3 trillion to the state. T/RS5/RS1)

Mi’raj Ilamic News Agency (MINA)