Jatinangor, West Java (ANTARA News) - A certain party has asked for the MKD to not punish House Speaker Setya Novanto over PT Freeport shares issue, the deputy chairman of the House of Representatives (DPR) Ethics Council (MKD) has said.

"A certain party has asked for an amicable settlement in the case of Pak (Mr) Novanto without the person concerned being punished," MKD Deputy Chairman Hardisoesilo said here Saturday on the sidelines of a jamboree for familiarization of Four Pillars (Pancasila state ideology, the Unitary State of Indonesia, the 1945 Constitution and Unity in Diversity) at a camping ground in Jatinangor, West Java.

He declined to name the party which had asked for freeing Novanto who is also from the Golkar Party from any punishment.

The demand could not as yet be categorized as a "terror" act and so the MKD remained calm, he believed.

Such a thing was not the first experience for the MKD as it had happened before, he said.

Hardisoesilo, who is a politician from Golkar Party, said that the MKD would continue to process the Novanto case as proof in the form of recording and transcript of conversations allegedly involving Novanto that have been submitted by energy minister Sudirman Said and received by MKD.

He had opened the recording but had not seen the transcript, he said.

After the recording and transcript were analyzed, and if the code of ethics had been violated, the case would be referred to the MKD leadership, who will decide later if sessions would be continued and persons involved would be summoned, he said.

"We will later make a list of witnesses to be decided upon by the MKD members," he said.

Seventeen members of the MKD would decide if the Novanto case should be categorized as a petty, moderate or serious violation, he said.

The Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Sudirman Said, reported on Monday morning to the DPRs Ethics Council regarding the exploitation of the names of the President and the Vice President by a politician-cum-DPR member in connection with PT Freeports contract extension.

The minister told a number of electronic and national television media persons that PT Freeport was contacted some months back by a number of influential politicians, who attempted to use the names of the President and the Vice President.

Vice President Jusuf Kalla said he would wait for the due process in parliament (DPR), before taking steps in the case. "Since the issue is already known, let us just wait for the process at the DPR. That will be the first step," he said at Halim Perdanakusuma airport here Tuesday before leaving for Manila for the APEC Summit.

He added that he would probably file a lawsuit after learning of the DPRs reaction.

"After knowing the response of the DPR, we will take further steps," he said.

The Vice President added that it was quite understandable if President Joko Widodo was angry after coming to know that his name had been misused for personal gains.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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