Indonesia's Anti Corruption Agency Seeks Arrest of Speaker of Parliament Setya Novanto

House Speaker Setya Novanto speaks to journalists.

Jakarta, MINA – Indonesia’s anti-corruption agency (KPK) is on the hunt for the country’s Speaker of Parliament Setya Novanto after an attempt late on Wednesday (Nov 15) to detain him at his home failed.

KPK spent about five hours searching his house on Wednesday night, according to thestraitstimes.com.

Novanto is a suspect in a major scandal involving US$170 million (S230 million) of stolen state funds.

Investigators have alleged that Novanto was among many politicians who received kickbacks from funds earmarked for a government project to issue new identification cards, called e-KTP, to citizens aged 17 or above in the country witha population of 255 million.

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KPK raided his Novanto’s house in south Jakarta as special force mobile brigade police stood guard outside his residence. The KPK confiscated a suitcase of documents and records and footage of the house’s CCTV system.

Novanto’s lawyer Mr Fredrich Yunadi said Novanto is in Jakarta and is not trying to avoid the law.

“We are going to meet the leaders of this country. We will ask for time to meet the President,” Fredrich told reporters.

Fredrich says members of Parliament enjoy parliamentary impunity and that they cannot be prosecuted without the President’s consent. (T/RS5/RS1)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)