Lawmakers push for BLBI investigation

Abdul Khalik ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Fri, 02/15/2008 10:11 AM  |  Headlines

Lawmakers from different factions are pushing for their right to inquire about stolen Bank Indonesia Liquidity Assistance (BLBI) funds amid discontent with the government's current measures.

Chairman of the National Awakening Party (PKB) at the House of Representatives Effendi Choirie said Thursday the government's response to 10 written questions from the House on BLBI was both unclear and unsatisfactory.

"After 10 years, the government is still unable to take action against the bad debtors," Effendi told a seminar on BLBI here.

"The government has also failed to show us what they want to do with the debtors who have embezzled trillions of state's money. We can't accept their explanation and so some of us will exercise our right to an inquiry."

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono skipped questioning session at the House on Tuesday.

He instead sent his ministers to explain any progress on recovery efforts around the embezzled money and against bad debtors.

The government also announced all the debtors, including 10 classified under "non-cooperative".

Many lawmakers said they were disappointed after finding only two of the bad debtors had been brought to court.

Effendi said he and other lawmakers were now waiting for a decision on whether the House would accept or reject the government's explanation.

"As we are afraid the House steering committee will unilaterally accept the government's explanation, we will exercise the inquiry right as individual lawmakers," Effendi said.

"We believe accepting the explanation will mean business as usual and the BLBI issue will die down quickly.

"Under the House standing order, at least 10 lawmakers can propose the House to exercise its inquiry right."

A House inquiry into the scandal involving the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) led to impeachment of President Abdurrahman Wahid in 2001.

Ade Daud Nasution of the Crescent Star Party (PBB) supported Effendi's plan and said many lawmakers would back the move to investigate.

"It is a huge amount of state loss. We can't just let it go and die down," Ade said.

"Exercising our inquiry right means we can summon anybody we need to explain the case.

"If we're not satisfied, we can continue with our next political move," he said.

Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle lawmaker Ganjar Pranowo said he supported the move to investigate but said there was a need for further details.

Legal expert Irmanputra Sidin urged House lawmakers to go ahead with the motion for an investigation, saying they were "on the right track".

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