JAKARTA JANUARY 24,2008
BI GRAFT INVESTIGATION STUMPS HOUSE COUNCIL
The House of Representatives says it is finding it difficult to prove the alleged illegal transfer of central bank funds to some of its members due to a lack of evidence.
"The case is still in a gray area. Until today, there is no convincing evidence that House members have received money from Bank Indonesia," Imam Sudja of the House Disciplinary Council said Wednesday.
The council is conducting its investigation based on a report from the Supreme Audit Agency on the flow of Rp 100 billion (US$10.6 million) from Bank Indonesia (BI) through the Indonesian Banking Development Foundation (YPPI) to the House, the Attorney General's Office and specified lawyers.
The council has summoned officials both from BI and the YPPI, but no concrete data has been found. "They have yet to give us clear information," said Imam, adding that the council did not want to accidentally discredit House members in public.
"An indication of corruption is not necessarily corruption," said Sudja.
On Wednesday, the council questioned BI legal director Oey Hoey Tiong, former BI bureau chief Rusli Simandjuntak, and Asnar Anshari of the YPPI for a second time in as many weeks.
"There was no transfer of funds, it was only for the dissemination of information," Oey told reporters after being questioned.
Gayus Lumbuun, deputy chief of the House Ethics Council, said that the three officials told the disciplinary council that some Rp 68.5 billion of the funds was given to former BI executives who were facing legal problems.
"Pak Oey told us that BI has a policy to support its executives when they have legal problems related to their positions in BI. He said that the money was meant as loans that would have to be repaid if a court found the guilty," said Gayus Lumbuun.
He emphasized that the council was not concerned with the usage of the Rp 68.5 billion. "Let the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigate who received that money," Gayus said.
He said the council was focusing on the remaining Rp 31.5 billion of the money, which allegedly had been given to House members.
"Rizal Simandjuntak admitted that he had made disbursements from the fund five times, but he did not say to whom he gave the money. When we asked about that, he said that he had accounted for the use of the money to the Bank Advisory Council of BI," said Gayus.
Rusli previously told the KPK that two legislators received the money, but he later retracted this testimony.
"He said he retracted the testimony because he did not have sufficient evidence," said Gayus.
Gayus said Wednesday's meeting was the last questioning session with the three officials, and in the future the council would seek information from other sources.
However, he said that the council would not immediately summon the House members who allegedly received the money. "This is part of our strategy," he said.
BEST REGARD
RACHMAD YULIADI NASIR
www.the-independent-news.blogspot.com
