Anti-Graft Body Question Former VP in Bank Century Case

Jakarta (Antara) - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) will question former vice president Jusuf Kalla as an expert witness in the case of the controversial bailout of Bank Century (now Bank Mutiara) on Thursday. "It is true that Pak Jk (Jusuf Kalla) will be summoned as an expert witness in the Century case on Thursday," KPK spokesman Johan Budi said here on Wednesday. Johan added that the KPK believed Jusuf Kalla might be able to offer information about the Century case. "He will be summoned to make the case clearer," Johan noted. Bank Century received a bailout of Rp6.7 trillion during the financial crisis of 2008, despite failing to fulfil the requirements for the bailout. According to the State Audit Board (BPK), Bank Indonesia did not take a strict decision against the bank. Instead, it modified its own regulations to allow the bank to receive the loan. The anti-graft body has detained former Bank Indonesia deputy governor Budi Mulya for his alleged role in handling the Bank Century case. Mulya was detained for 20 days last Friday as a suspect in connection with extending a short-term funding facility to Bank Century and declaring it as a failed bank. Besides Budi Mulya, another BI executive considered accountable for extending the loan is Siti Fajriah, but investigation has been hampered by the fact that she is too ill to undergo a legal trial. (*)