JAKARTA. The House of Representatives’ ethics council (MKD) plans to examine Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Sudirman Said over his controversial reporting of two top figures for misconduct.

Minister Sudirman submitted a Freeport “scandal report” to the ethics council, including a transcript of a recorded conversation allegedly between House Speaker Setya Novanto, oil trader Muhammad Reza Chalid and Freeport Indonesia president director Maroef Sjamsoeddin, who is also a former National Intelligence Agency (BIN) deputy chairman.

“We hope the examination will be held next week,” council deputy chairman Junimart Girsang said on Thursday.

According to the report, Setya and Reza repeatedly mentioned Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Panjaitan, who is also considered the right-hand man of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, as having a role in making the deal successful.

Junimart said the examination was aimed at verifying the three page-transcript and recorded material directly with the minister.

He added that the council would also submit the file on the transcript to the National Police's Criminal Investigation Corps (Bareskrim) for forensic analysis, after being listened to by him and his deputy chairmen Hardi Soesilo and Sufi Dasco Ahmad.

Junimart said the examination would be a test for the council to regain public trust, adding that he hope Bareskrim could make the audio recording clearer before the questioning took place.

According to Junimart, the council will also summon the four figures reportedly recorded or mentioned in the recording, namely Setya, Reza, Maroef and Luhut, next week.

“We will scrutinize all of them,” Junimart asserted.(Erika Anindita)

Editor: Barratut Taqiyyah Rafie