The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has had to reschedule its plan to question House of Representatives Speaker Setya Novanto over an alleged graft case centered around the procurement of electronic identification cards (e-KTP).

“The questioning session with Setya Novanto as a witness has been rescheduled for next week because he is currently in the US,” KPK spokesperson Febri Diansyah said on Wednesday.

KPK investigators previously questioned Setya, who is also chairman of the Golkar Party, on Dec. 13 to seek clarification on his involvement in the Rp 6 trillion (US$445.5 million) project launched in 2010.

Setya served as treasurer of the Golkar Party and leader of the Golkar faction at the House when the project was introduced.

The antigraft body has questioned nearly 200 witnesses so far, but has only named two suspects, the Home Ministry’s former director general for population and civil registration Irman, and Sugiharto, a former managing director of population administrative information at the Directorate General of Population and Civil Registration.

KPK chairman Agus Rahardjo, however, has repeatedly said there could be other suspects in the case. State losses as a result of the project purportedly reach Rp 2.3 trillion.

Former Democratic Party treasurer Muhammad Nazaruddin, a witness in the case, alleged that Setya was one of the masterminds behind the project.

Setya, however, has repeatedly denied the accusation. (fac/dmr)