Jakarta. The national antigraft agency is exploring obstruction of justice charges related to its completed investigation against non-active House of Representatives Speaker Setya Novanto, who is currently on trial in the e-KTP corruption case.

Setya's whereabouts were unknown when investigators arrived at his home in Jakarta last month to arrest him, prompting them to declare him a fugitive. He was eventually placed in custody following a car crash, which resulted in his hospitalization.

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has questioned several witnesses in a preliminary probe to determine whether there had been attempts to hamper the graft investigation, spokesman Febri Diansyah said on Monday (18/12).

"Events surrounding the accident and the suspect's subsequent admission to hospital; we need to pay close attention to that," Febri said.

Setya and his aide were passengers in the car allegedly driven by Hilman Mattauch, a Metro TV freelance journalist, when it crashed into a light pole in Jakarta. Police later charged Hilman with careless driving.

However, Febri declined to reveal the names of the persons targeted in the obstruction of justice investigation.

"We first want to ensure that there were logical relations between the events," Febri said. "We have yet to come up with a decision on whether to proceed to the next phase of the investigation."

The obstruction of justice charge carries a maximum penalty of 12 years' imprisonment.

Setya failed to comply with most KPK summonses for questioning in the graft case involving the Rp 5.9 trillion ($413 million) procurement of electronic national identity cards, or e-KTP, which resulted in Rp 2.3 trillion in state losses.

During the first session of Setya's trial in the Jakarta Corruption Court last week, KPK prosecutors arraigned him for allegedly having unlawfully received $7.3 million from the project.