National

Aburizal briefs Idrus on Century scandal

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sat, 12/05/2009 6:42 PM | National

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Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie said Saturday he had asked party lawmaker Idrus Marham to show firm leadership in the House of Representatives’ committee of inquiry into the Bank Century scandal.

Aburizal suggested that Idrus and other committee members not to be hesitant in summoning individuals connected with the case.

“I told [Idrus] and other Golkar members joining the committee to uncover the scandal without reservation,” Aburizal said on the sidelines of his visit to Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara.

Idrus, who is also Golkar’s secretary-general, won the committee’s chief post after securing support from 19 out of 30 committee members in a vote Friday. Many see Idrus’ appointment as a result of a negotiation between Golkar and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s Democratic Party to keep the government apart from the scandal.

Aburizal said Golkar’s support for the inquiry was not aimed at undermining the government, but to help it quickly solve the problem.

The Century case centers around irregularities concerning the government’s decision to inject Rp 6.76 trillion (US $700 million) in bailout funds for the ailing bank. Suspicion has been rife that the rescue measure was politically motivated.