T

he initiators of the legislative inquiry into the controversial bailout of Bank Century have given new evidence to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) that they claim will shed light on who is responsible for the bailout scandal.

Golkar Party lawmaker Bambang Soesatyo, who currently serves as a member of the House of Representatives' committee overseeing the Bank Century investigation, said on Friday that the KPK must speed up its work. 'We're here to push KPK,' he said during a visit to the KPK's headquarters along with three other initiators, People's Conscience Party (Hanura) chairman Akbar Faisal, Lily Wahid of Hanura and Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) politician Muhammad Misbakhun.

During the visit, the initiators submitted data that consisted of documents on meetings discussing the bailout as well as on the fake calculation that led to the idea that the failure to save Century could lead to the collapse of the country's banking industry.

According to Akbar, the document contained information on the meeting of Nov. 20, 2008, attended by some high-ranking officials at Bank Indonesia (BI), including Vice President Boediono and graft convict Miranda Goeltom, who served as BI governor and senior deputy governor respectively during the bailout. 'There was an indication of manipulation during the meeting,' he said.

Akbar added that prior to the meeting, BI officials had already concluded that the government had to bailout Century in order to prevent the country's banking system from systemic collapse. 'But at that time BI did not have the calculation and analysis on the systemic impact [to back up its claim],' he said.

During the meeting, BI officials decided to omit data that could not back up their claim, but added supporting data, said Akbar.

Based on the finding that had been submitted to the KPK, the initiators hoped that the antigraft body could finish the case by 2014, he added.

Responding to the call, KPK spokesperson Johan Budi said the commission had already upped investigations into the case. 'We keep questioning witnesses. But I have to ask, what do they mean by speeding up [the investigation]? The KPK also handles other cases, not only the Century case,' he told a press conference at the KPK's headquarters on Friday.

Besides questioning witnesses in Indonesia, the KPK also sent its investigators to question some key witnesses abroad, including former finance minister Sri Mulyani at the Indonesian Embassy in Washington, DC last month.

The KPK said it had heard new information from Sri Mulyani during the questioning.

The initiators' call on the KPK to hasten its investigation has emerged during intensifying animosity displayed by the House toward the KPK, as more and more lawmakers, including Bambang, become embroiled in corruption scandals.

The House's committee overseeing the Bank Century case slammed the KPK for ignoring its invitation to discuss the latest developments in its investigation into the multi-billion dollar bailout scandal.

The committee threatened to ask the National Police to forcibly bring KPK leaders to the House.

Bambang, who along with other lawmakers allegedly accepted bribes in the vehicle simulator case at the National Police Traffic Corps (Korlantas), said the threat was made impulsively.

'We were just emotional,' he said, adding the KPK had confirmed its commissioners would accept another invitation by the House next Wednesday.

So far, the KPK has only named BI deputy governor Budi Mulia as suspect, and did so last November.