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War on Graft: Former speaker of Indonesian People's Representative Council Setya Novanto sentenced to 15 years in prison

Speed News Desk | Updated on: 27 April 2018, 15:03 IST

The chairman of Golkar Party and speaker of the People's Representative Council Setya Novanto sentenced to 15 years in prison over graft charges.

The 62-year-old former politician was convicted on Tuesday for taking millions of dollars as bribes linked to the national roll-out of government ID cards. An estimated US$170 million syphoned off the $440 million ID card project.

He was once praised by Us President Donald Trump who called him one of the most powerful men in Indonesia.

 

He has been widely mocked after fleeing anti-corruption investigators, vanishing for 24 hours, and then emerging in a hospital emergency room bandaged up like a burns patient.

Mr Novanto's lawyer claims the politician suffered a serious concussion after his car struck a power pole on Thursday night — about 24 hours after anti-corruption investigators went to his home to bring him in for questioning.

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First published: 27 April 2018, 15:02 IST