Febriamy Hutapea, Heru Andriyanto & Nivell Rayda – In the latest move to assert themselves following the diluted conclusions from a legislative probe into the PT Bank Century bailout, a group of lawmakers on Thursday threatened to withhold funding for the state antigraft body if it failed to quickly follow up their recommendations.

Legislators this week threatened to boycott Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati's appearance at the House of Representatives, including to debate revisions to the 2010 state budget.

Some lawmakers have accused Sri Mulyani of being responsible for the bailout but their efforts to have her named by the House special committee probe failed. The committee did, however, conclude there were "indications" of legal violations in the bailout and that further investigation was needed by law enforcers.

Golkar Party lawmaker Bambang Soesatyo said that through its authority in approving the operational budget for the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), the House had to put pressure on the KPK to fast-track its investigation of the bailout.

KPK deputy chairman Chandra M Hamzah, however, said the commission would ignore the threat. "It is their right to say such things, but we urge everyone to be patient because our investigation is based on solid evidence and not the House recommendations," he said.

A number of lawmakers, including Bambang, have complained about what they say is the slow pace of the KPK probe into the Rp 6.7 trillion ($730 million) bailout. "The sluggishness of the KPK is part of an effort to hamper the Century investigation," Bambang has claimed.

Eva Kusuma Sundari, a lawmaker from the opposition Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said the House could use its power to withhold approval of the KPK budget if it failed to produce satisfactory results in the case. She said the House had in the past rejected a budget increase for the Attorney General's Office, citing its poor performance.

House Deputy Speaker Priyo Budi Santoso, from Golkar, said the KPK, as well as the National Police and AGO, would "face public anger" if they failed to follow the House's recommendations.

Hasrul Azwar, chairman of the United Development Party (PPP) faction in the House, said the party would wait to talk to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono before deciding on its course of action.

Emerson Yuntho, deputy head of Indonesia Corruption Watch, lashed out at the threat, saying it "would certainly upset the country's rule of law."

"What we are seeing is a new chapter in the Bank Century saga," he said. "The KPK must not respond to such threats because if it gives in and loses its objectivity, it will be open to even more political pressure and interventions in other cases."

Hasril Hertanto, a legal analyst from the University of Indonesia, said the House "would abuse its authority if it pressed ahead with the threats. He pointed out that in 2008, when the KPK arrested and prosecuted eight lawmakers in separate graft cases, the House rejected the commission's request for a budget increase.

A day after the Bank Century conclusions were made, the House also blocked a government regulation providing the legal basis for interim KPK chairman Tumpak Hatorangan Panggabean to stay on in his position.