Century probe reaches anti-climax

The political inquiry into the Bank Century bailout scandal has reached an anti-climax with analysts seeing the inquiry committee as merely a tool of political bargaining among the House coalitions.

The anti-climax was shown by the election of Idrus Marham as chairman of the special committee assigned by the House of Representatives to carry out the inquiry into the Rp 6.76 trillion (US$716 million) bank scandal.

Up in arms: Deputy House Speaker Priyo Budi Santoso (second left) poses for a photo with candidates for the Bank Century inquiry committee chairmanship in Jakarta on Friday. The candidates are (from left) Gayus Lumbuun from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), Idrus Marham from Golkar, Mahfudz Siddiq from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and Yahya Sacawiriya from the Democratic Party. Idrus won the post. (JP/P.J. Leo)

“The inquiry committee is now officially dead. The appointment of Idrus shows that the committee will not do a damn thing to resolve the scandal, and it will only be an instrument for bargaining political power between the parties,” Fadjroel Rachman from the Coalition of Anti-corruption Civil Societies (Kompak) told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

Boni Hargens, a political analyst at the University of Indonesia, agreed and said the special committee would be “infertile” and would therefore never reach its initial goals of uncovering the truth and exposing exactly who received the funds.

“The inquiry will become a political bargaining tool among major political parties, mainly the Democratic Party, Golkar and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle [PDI-P],” he said, adding it was better for the civil society groups to keep a close eye on the antigraft body’s inquiry into the scandal.

He predicted the political inquiry would not touch the President, Vice President Boediono or even Finance Minister Sri Mulyani. Sources said a business tycoon was approaching the major factions to save Sri Mulyani.

Idrus garnered 19 out of 30 votes at the House on Friday night. He managed to defeat his main competitors, Gayus Lumbuun from the PDI-P, by a 12-point margin and Mahfud Siddik from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS). Fadjroel said Idrus’ appointment could open more doors for Golkar to gain better political standing, because the party aimed to protect President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of the Democratic Party from possible impeachment.

“A number of Golkar executives told me that they are worried about the possibility of the President being impeached if the committee is led by a legislator from the PDI-P,” he said.

Several Golkar sources, who asked for anonymity, confirmed both parties agreed not to touch Yudhoyono or Boediono during the inquiry and in its political recommendations.

“Besides gaining the chairmanship seat in the committee, we are seeking additional jobs either in the cabinet or state enterprises,” said a source.

Desmon J. Mahesa, a legislator of the Great Indonesian Movement Party (Gerindra), said it was clear Idrus’ appointment would scuttle any possibility of investigating Yudhoyono.

“At the most, the committee will only dare to investigate to the second-top layer, and anyone in that layer, will only become scapegoats.”