TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Monitoring team allowed to summon officials
After more than a month since the House of Representatives’ vote on the wrongful bailout of Bank Century, parliament will start monitoring whether its resolution on the bailout has fallen on deaf ears
Change Size
A
fter more than a month since the House of Representatives’ vote on the wrongful bailout of Bank Century, parliament will start monitoring whether its resolution on the bailout has fallen on deaf ears.
The House consultative body agreed Thursday to arrange a plenary session next Tuesday to endorse the monitoring team and its members.
House deputy speaker Pramono Anung said that to make sure the government and law enforcers follow up the House’s recommendations on the Bank Century case accordingly, the team would be granted powers to summon all individuals from related judicial institutions.
“There is no limitation of the team’s work period, but hopefully, they can finish the job within five or six months,” Pramono said.
The team, according to Pramono, will consist of 30 legislators from the nine parties at the House. The composition of the monitoring team will follow that of the now disbanded Bank Century inquiry team.
“Therefore, the Democratic Party will have the most representatives with eight, Golkar six, and so on,” Pramono, from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), told reporters .
Pramono said the House’s Speaker and four deputy speakers would each lead the team on a monthly rotation.
“During the first month, the team will be led by Pak Priyo [Budi Santoso of Golkar], I will lead the team in the second month. Pak Anis Matta [from the Prosperous Justice Party — PKS] will take charge in the third month, then Pak Marzukie [Alie from the Democratic Party], and finally Pak Taufik [Kurniawan from the National Mandate Party — PAN],” he said.
The team will be responsible to monitor the implementation of the House’s recommendations on the case, which revolves around a policy for a bailout that suspiciously mushroomed to Rp 6.76 trillion (US$716 million).
The policy was authorized in November 2008 by Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati and then Bank Indonesia governor, Boediono, who is now Vice President. Both of them have insisted that what they did was good policy in the midst of the global financial crisis.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has repeatedly defended his two most trusted aides.
However, the House, in its recommendations in early March, concluded the bailout was flawed and the policy makers behind it should face legal measures.
“The members of the team will also be determined during the next plenary session. Each faction at the House has the liberty to name its representatives, however, I believe the members of the former Bank Century inquiry team will make up most of the team,” Pramono added.
In response to the House’s recommendations on Bank Century, the Corruption Eradication Commission has summoned a number of Bank Indonesia officials to be questioned as witnesses, but no one has been named as a suspect in the case.
The commission also plans to summon Sri Mulyani as then the leader of the now defunct Financial System Stability Committee for questioning.
Separately, United Development Party (PPP) legislator Muhammad Romahurmuziy, who is also a former member of the inquiry team, said the formation of the monitoring team could at least reduce the recent heated situation, in which a number of legislators have begun signing a petition requesting the House to use its political opinion right.
