T

he Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has again said that it will reveal a breakthrough in its probe into the Bank Century bailout scandal next week.

The KPK was scheduled to disclose the progress during a meeting with the House of Representatives’ monitoring team on the scandal, KPK spokesperson Johan Budi said on Wednesday. “We [the KPK] have gathered information from many sources including from experts. On Monday, we will decide if we are ready to start a formal investigation and wrap up our preliminary inquiry,” Johan said.

KPK commissioners have repeatedly said that it would go public with progress in their probe. KPK chairman Abaraham Samad and his deputy, Busyro Muqqodas, have said that the commission would announce a big break in the probe by the end of this year.

The KPK has also closely worked with the House monitoring team by holding a meeting once every three months. However, no significant progress has been made.

Abdullah Dahlan, a political corruption researcher at Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW), said that the KPK could have started a formal investigation into the scandal last month.

“I suspect that in the planned meeting next week, the commissioners will debate whether or not corruption happened in the bailout. Meanwhile, KPK Deputy Chairman Busyro Muqqodas has already said that there were indications of corruption,” he told The Jakarta Post.

Dahlan also suspected that the recent stand-off between the KPK and the National Police had diverted attention from the Century scandal.

He said that the withdrawal of investigators seconded to the KPK by the National Police had dealt a blow to the handling of the case.

Last week, head of the House’s monitoring team for the Bank Century scandal Priyo Budi Santoso of the Golkar Party said that a new suspect had been revealed in the case.

The KPK has rejected Priyo’s claim.

Dahlan said that the House monitoring team had played politics in its latest move.

“The way I see it, the House’s monitoring team is trying to put political pressure which could actually interfere with the KPK’s legal process,” he said.