Sri Mulyani Expects Legal Certainty from KPK

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Finance Minister Sri Mulyani said here Tuesday the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) questioning would pave the way for her to get  legal certainty.

"Following the completion of my questioning, the KPK is expected to be able to make a conclusion. With the conclusion, there will be a legal certainty," she told newsmen following her questioning by KPK.
    
The KPK investigators’ conclusion was also necessary for the Indonesian people because they would get a comprehensive picture of the Bank Century bailout case, she said.
    
"This will also avoid us from the people’s verdict to various parties (allegedly related to the Bank Century bailout case-ed.)," she said.
   
Sri Mulyani said she did want to have a legal certainty in her capacity as an ordinary Indonesian citizen and her capacity as a government official.  All elements in the society need to respect a fair legal process because everybody had rights to get the legal certainty, she said.

In other parts of her press statement, she also touched on the materials that the KPK investigators asked. Sri Mulyani said she explained about her duties and authority as the former head of the now-defunct Financial System Stability Committee (KSSK) to the KPK investigators.

In her capacity as the KSSK chief, she told the KPK investigators about a number of issues, arguments on systemic impacts, processes to the coordination committee to the Deposit Insurance Corporation (LPS), and background of the economic crisis.  She said she also told  the KPK investigators about the KSSK-organized meetings, including the consultative meetings on November 13, 2008, November 17-19, 2008 and November 20-21, 2008.

Sri Mulyani was quizzed at her office (finance ministry) over the Bank Century bailout scandal for the second time since last April 29.  During the questioning, the matters the KPK investigators asked about were not different from those  the House of Representatives (DPR)’s Bank Century inquiry committee had delved into , she said.

Besides Sri Mulyani,KPK investigators had also quizzed former central bank (Bank Indonesia) governor who is now Vice President Boediono.  Sri Mulyani and Boediono were among those named by several party factions in the House’s Bank Century Inquiry Committee as responsible for the Bank Century scandal.
    
The central government’s decision to rescue failed Bank Century with a total of Rp6.7 trillion in bailout funds had also triggered protests from various elements in the society. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono maintained Sri Mulyani in his cabinet despite public pressure for her dismissal from the cabinet.