Golkar to Find New Chairman to Replace Disgraced Setya Novanto
Jakarta. Indonesia's second largest political party Golkar may soon hold an extraordinary meeting to elect a new chairman to replace Setya Novanto — who is now under detention as a suspect in the million-dollar e-KTP graft case by the country's Corruption Eradication Commission, a member of the party's advisory board said on Monday (20/11).
Setya was put in detention by antigraft agency KPK late on Sunday night after he was released from hospital where he was being treated for injuries from a car crash on Thursday night while he was on the run from KPK investigators.
The House of Representatives speaker is accused of siphoning off Rp 574 billion ($42 million) from the Rp 5.9 trillion national electronic identity card (e-KTP) procurement project, which has resulted in a total of Rp 2.3 trillion in state losses.
Setya could face up to 20 years in jail if found guilty.
"In the interest of the party... Golkar should hold an extraordinary national meeting to select a new party chairman,” Golkar's advisory board chairman Agung Laksono said.
Agung also urged all Golkar members to throw their support behind party secretary general Idrus Marham to take up the mantle of acting chairman of the party before Setya's permanent replacement is found.
Golkar so far has not dumped Setya as chairman of the party.
Agung also urged the KPK to act fairly and not target the party’s politicians in its e-KTP graft probe.
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