REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Vice President Jusuf Kalla has opined that the graft case involving Golkar Chairman Setya Novanto can become a negative campaign for the party.

"Golkar must remain firm but at the same time its leaders should abide by the law and uphold the public's trust. If they keep running away like this, how can the public trust him?" Kalla noted on the sidelines of the National Democratic Party's national meeting here, Thursday.

In response to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) again naming Novanto as suspect, Kalla reiterated that the House speaker should abide by the law.

"Do not act like this. The public will question it. How a leader should maintain his integrity?" he questioned.

The vice president noted that the involvement of a party's cadre in a legal case will lower the public's trust in the party.

On Nov 10, Novanto was renamed a suspect in a major graft case of electronic identity cards (e-ID) that involved US$170 million of embezzled state funds.

The KPK has issued an arrest warrant. The attempt to arrest Novanto on Wednesday night failed. As of Thursday, his whereabouts are still unknown. Therefore, he was put on wanted list (DPO).

Later on Thursday night, Novanto's lawyer Fredrich Yunadi confirmed that his client was hospitalized after the car that Novanto was riding in hit electricity pole at Permata Hijau Street, South Jakarta at around 18:35 pm.

Fredrich said, Novanto was indicated to have a brain concussion.

KPK has found that Novanto, a parliament member during the 2009-2014 period, along with Sudihardjono; Andi Agustinus alias Andi Narogong; Irman, the director general of civil registry and population affairs of the Ministry of Home Affairs; Sugiharto, official-in-charge of making commitment of the directorate general of civil registry and population affairs; as well as several other accomplices, abused power and facilities to cause at least Rp2.3 trillion of financial losses to the state from the Rp5.9 trillion e-ID procurement project of the Ministry of Home Affairs during the 2011-2012 period.

Novanto has been charged with violating articles in Law Number 31 of 1999 on Corruption and Criminal Act.

The Golkar Party chairman was earlier named a suspect on July 17 in the same graft case.

However, on Sept 29, the South Jakarta court, in its pretrial session, revoked Novanto's status as a corruption suspect and other related laws.

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