Indonesia parliament speaker arrested

Indonesian authorities have arrested a politician who has long evaded questions over alleged role in theft of $US170 million in public money.

Setya Novanto

Doctors say Indonesian politician Setya Novanto can answer questions about the theft of public money (AAP)

Indonesia's parliament speaker Setya Novanto has been arrested over his alleged role in causing state losses of $US170 million ($A238 million) linked to a national electronic identity card scheme.

Novanto, wearing an orange vest worn by detainees of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), was transferred from a hospital on Sunday night into a KPK detention facility at its headquarters in Jakarta.

He is one of the most senior politicians in Indonesia to be detained by the independent KPK.

The parliament speaker was arrested on Friday night but KPK said it delayed enforcing his detention while he received treatment for injuries sustained in a car crash the day before.

Laode Muhammad Syarif, deputy head of the KPK, said in a video posted on the agency's official Periscope page that a doctor's statement showed Novanto no longer needed to be treated in hospital "therefore according to standards and procedure the delay of the arrest is no longer needed."

In comments made to reporters on Sunday night, Novanto said he was still suffering from vertigo after the crash that he said had caused injuries to his leg, arm and head.

Novanto has denied wrongdoing but has repeatedly missed summonses from the KPK for questioning in recent months, saying he was ill and needed to undergo heart surgery.

The KPK is investigating state losses amounting to about $US170 million linked to a national electronic identity card scheme after allegations that sums ranging from $US5000 to $US5.5 million - generated by marking up procurement costs - were divided up among politicians in parliament.


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Source: AAP


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