W

ednesday'€™s conviction of former Bank Indonesia (BI) deputy governor Budi Mulya has confirmed the roles of other individuals in the controversial bailout of Bank Century in 2008, including that of Vice President Boediono, who served as BI governor when the bailout decision was made.

Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) deputy chairman Bambang Widjojanto said that through their conviction of Budi, judges at the Jakarta Corruption Court had confirmed there was strong evidence to move against '€œother parties'€ implicated in the case.

'€œI will meet soon with KPK prosecutors to discuss all information handed down in the verdict before deciding what steps we will take next. The verdict not only confirmed the role of the BI board of governors, but also that of the secretary of the Financial Sector Policy Committee [KKSK],'€ Bambang told a press briefing on Wednesday evening, hours after the verdict was delivered.

The Jakarta Corruption Court on Wednesday sentenced Budi to a 10-year prison term, the first conviction in the graft case surrounding the multibillion-rupiah bailout.

The panel of judges found that Budi had abused his authority collectively with his colleagues on the board of governors; Boediono, former BI senior deputy governor Miranda Goeltom, and then BI deputy governors Siti C. Fadjrijah, Budi Rochadi, Muliaman Hadad, Hartadi Sarwono and Ardhayadi Mitroatmodjo.

Others implicated in the verdict include former Bank Century shareholder Robert Tantular and the bank'€™s president director Hermanus Muslim, as well as economist Raden Pardede, who served as the KKSK secretary.

Muliaman is currently chairman of the powerful Financial Services Authority (OJK). Miranda, Hartadi and Ardhayadi all retired from their positions several years ago, while Budi Rochadi died on a visit to New York in July 2011. Siti suffered a stroke and is incapacitated.

'€œOur examination has found the defendant guilty of corruption together with other parties in the case,'€ presiding judge Afiantara said in his verdict announcement.

The panel of judges found that Budi and '€œcolleagues'€ had abused their authority by channeling Rp 689 billion (US$58.9 million) in short-term financial assistance (FPJP) to keep the bank afloat, and by falsely claiming that Bank Century posed a systemic threat to the banking sector, making it eligible for Rp 6.7 trillion from the Deposit Insurance Corporation (LPS).

An audit by the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) found that the bailout policy caused state losses of more than Rp 7 trillion.

Responding to the verdict, House of Representatives'€™ Bank Century inquiry committee member Bambang Soesatyo applauded the ruling and praised both the court and the KPK for shedding light on the involvement of other high-powered individuals in the highly politicized Bank Century scandal.

Soesatyo urged the KPK to immediately charge Boediono with graft given his role as the highest authority at the central bank when the bailout policy was made.

'€œNow the KPK has strong grounds to name Boediono and his colleagues as suspects in the case. One thing is certain that Budi Mulya was not the highest authority when the Central Bank'€™s decision to bail out Bank Century was made. One person that should be held accountable for all of this is the BI governor at that time,'€ Bambang said on Wednesday.

One of the five judges dissented from the verdict. Judge Anas Mustaqim said that KPK prosecutors'€™ sentence demands had not elaborated on other individuals who should be held accountable in the bailout policy.

'€œThe KPK prosecutor'€™s sentence demand failed to include former finance minister Sri Mulyani [Indrawati], who was also the KKSK chairperson,'€ Anas said prior to the reading of the verdict.

Anas added that others in the KKSK should also be prosecuted.

'€œSo Sri Mulyani as the head of the KSSK, Boediono as a member of the KSSK, and Raden as secretary of the KSSK, all were involved in the decision to bail out the bank,'€ Anas said, adding that due to the '€œincomplete sentence demand'€ prepared by the KPK prosecutors the court should acquit Budi in the case.

Both Budi and the KPK said they would appeal the sentence. KPK spokesman Johan Budi said that the jail term for Budi was lower than the 17 years demanded by the antigraft body'€™s prosecutors.