SBY agrees to open Bank Century data; backs petition

Dicky Christanto ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Mon, 11/23/2009 1:37 PM  |  Headlines

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said he backed opening up who has received the Bank Century bailout funds, ordering the Financial Transaction Report Analysis Center to reveal the bank's transactions.

In an attempt to clear his name and that of his family and his party, all of which have been accused of receiving bailout funds, the President also expressed his full support to a petition by a number of legislators at the House of Representatives to inquire into the scandal, which cost taxpayers approximately Rp 6.76 trillion (US$716 million).

"I want to know where the money goes also. Just opening it up all just the way it is," he told chief editors of the national media at his office in Jakarta on Monday evening.

He said he had heard rumors that his Democratic Party and success team had received bailout funds during the last legislative elections and presidential elections.

"I tell you tonight it is a bad thing that a president gets funds or receives money from illegal sources. It taints me. I want it all to be opened up," he said.

On possible inquiries from the House on the scandal, he said, "I also can give full support if it is the best solution to make everything clear."

Lawmakers who initiated the petition of inquiry, said they were optimistic that the petition which aims at forming a team to investigate the bailout decision, would get support from the House plenary meeting.

"We are solid in safeguarding the objective to conduct an investigation into the bank scandal that has allegedly violated many regulations," Bambang Soesatyo, a lawmaker from Golkar Party, told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

He said members of his party would fully support the petition.

Bambang said that the audit report from the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) to be submitted to the House today should be disclosed to the public, and strengthen moves to undertake an investigation.

He said he had received data indicating that there had been Rp 3.7 trillion worth of funds being misused while the bank, which was now called Bank Mutiara, was under the government's monitoring.

The officials that would likely be summoned, he added, included Finance Minister Sri Mulyani as chief and Raden Pardede as secretary of the Financial Sector Policy Committee (KKSK) and Vice President Boediono, then BI governor when the decision to bail out the bank was made.

Currently 243 of the House's 560 members have signed the petition.

According to House procedures, an endorsement will only be passed if more than 50 percent of the legislators who attend a plenary session agree on the inquiry proposal. This means only 38 more legislators are needed to pass the inquiry.

Once established, the committee will have the legal right to summon anyone suspected of involvement in the Bank Century scandal, which cost taxpayers approximately Rp 6.76 trillion (US$716 million).

There are only three out of nine parties at the House, including Yudhoyono's Democratic Party, that have yet to confirm their agreement to endorse the committee. The United Development Party (PPP) and the National Awakening Party (PKB) also opposed the petition.

Anis Matta, lawmaker from the Justice and Prosperous Party, said his party, a member of Yudho-yono's coalition, fully supported the petition.

"We have seen such obvious crimes behind the scandal. Crimes that could no longer be concealed," he said.

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