KPK Has to Uncover Intellectual Actors in Bank Scandal

Jakarta (Antara) - Outspoken lawmaker Sarifuddin Sudding asks the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to uncover the intellectual actors behind Bank Century scandal. The legislator from the Commission III of the House of Representatives said KPK could use data already available about alleged corruption of fund in short term financing facility (FPJP) provided by Bank Indonesia several years earlier under Governor Boediono, now Vice President. Bank Indonesia bailed out the bank (Rp6.7 trillion), which was drained of cash after its owners reportedly robbed it including funds belonging to its depositors. Boediono said the bail out was needed to prevent run on bank as a collapse of a bank, whatever small it was, could trigger run on bank amid the global financial crisis in 2009. The house of representatives, however, agreed that the bank did not deserve bail out and the country was facing no financial crisis that year. Former Vice President Jusuf Kalla also said the country faced no financial crisis and Bank Century scandal is a criminal case. KPK questioned Boediono in his office for 9 hours on Saturday as witness in the corruption case with former deputy governor Budi Mulya as suspect. Sudding also criticized KPK for holding investigation of the vice president at his office instead of at the KPK office. He questioned the consistency of KPK leaders in saying that all citizens are equal before the law. (*)