SBY defends Boediono, Mulyani

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said Thursday he respected the House of Representatives’ findings of alleged violations in the Bank Century bailout, but insisted that the policy was the right choice and justifiable.

Yudhoyono also dismissed the lawmakers’ demand for legal measures against Vice President Boediono and Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati who the House said were held responsible for the bailout policy, saying the House’s findings could not justify criminal investigations into his most trusted aides.

“I can understand why the decision to salvage the bank was necessary to take. Not just understand, I endorsed the bailout of Bank Century,” the president said in speech he delivered to respond to the House’s final say on the controversial policy.

The president said did not see any conflicts of interest or evil intent in the decision to salvage the ailing bank in November 2008, which he said was authorized by two figures whose integrity and credibility was proven.

Yudhoyono said both Boediono and Mulyani deserved appreciation for saving the country’s economy from possible systemic impacts of the collapse of Bank Century.

The president said whoever in charge at that time would take a decision that Mulyani and Boediono chose. “Everybody is responsible for extinguishing even a small flame that can ignite a fire which will paralyze the banking world,” Yudhoyono said.

He maintained that the House should have not argued or criminalized a policy.