REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- National Police Chief Gen. Tito Karnavian chose not to comment much on a slander report filed by former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) against a lawyer of big corruption defendant. He said he believes police investigators could handle the report proportionally. "I would rather not comment yet," Tito said here on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, SBY, who is general chairman of the Democrat Party reported to police Firman Wijaya, one of the lawyers of corruption defendant Setya Novanto for alleged slander and defamatory statement. SBY said Firman had gone beyond his authority as a lawyer issuing slanderous statement hinting that the former president was involved in one of the country's largest corruption in the procurement of the e-ID cards when he was still in power.

"I am as a law abiding citizen but also want justice, officially report Mr Firman Wijaya, who I think has committed slander and character assassination over the e-KTP (electronic identity card) case. For the rest, I leave it to my lawyers and certainly the Almighty God," he said on Tuesday.

In his report to police, SBY accused Firman of violating Chapters 310 and 311 of KUHP on slander and defamation of character. "Firman issued statement directing the public opinion, accusing me with the power in my hand of intervening the procurement of e-ID cards," he said .

Earlier, outside court, Firman Wijaya unveiled testimony at court by a witness saying there was 'big actor' behind the procurement of the e-ID cards.

According to Firman, based on the testimony of Mirwan Amir as witness, the e-ID card project worth almost Rp6 trillion was controlled by the winner of the 2009 election that was the Democrat Party of SBY. Mirwan Amir is a former lawmaker of the ruling party. He testified in the trial of Setya Novanto, former Speaker of the Parliament and general chairman of Golkar, the country's second largest political party.

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