Several members of the House of Representatives special working committee on the Century bailout case visited the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in Jakarta on Wednesday to ask for details on its investigations.
Talking to reporters before attending a closed meeting with KPK commissioners, National Police chief Gen. Timur Pradopo and Attorney General Basrief Arif, legislator Bambang Susatyo said the KPK had not made any recent progress in its investigation.
“We feel the KPK has handled this case too slowly, if it hasn’t stalled completely. Our visit today is to ask why,” Bambang said.
He added that the KPK statement that it had not found any indications of corruption “was strange and unusual”.
The House working committee had “obtained sufficient evidence indicating there was corruption”.
“If the KPK cannot handle the case any more, please tell us so we can find another channel to investigate the case,” Bambang said.
He added that the House could use its right to summon state officials allegedly implicated in the case.
“If the KPK has come to a dead end, let's use political means [through the involvement of the House] to disclose its findings,” he said.
The Commission had invited the legislators and other related state agencies to discuss its progress in the Century bailout investigations.
House members, including Ramadhan Pohan, Gayus Lumbuun, Akbar Faisal and Chairumam Harahap also attended the meeting.
Earlier this year, the House of Representatives, through its special working committee, announced that it suspected the Rp 6.76 trillion (US$716 million) bailout inflicted state losses. The house then recommended that the KPK to conduct an investigation.
However, the KPK later announced it had found no indications of graft behind the government decision to bail out the now-defunct Bank Century, since the move had not inflicted state losses, it said. (lfr)
