Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – Observers said Wednesday a meeting between a leader of the antigraft commission with figures close to Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati could damage public trust of the commission, which has been investigating the Bank Century case.
Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) deputy chairman Chandra M. Hamzah on Tuesday night met with lawyer Arief T. Surowidjojo, also legal councilor for Mulyani, at Daniel Lev's Library at Puri Imperium building in South Jakarta.
"Chandra's action was against the KPK's code of ethics," Indonesia Corruption Watch deputy coordinator Emerson Yuntho said. "Regardless of the meeting's purpose, the public might become suspicious that the KPK is no longer objective in probing the Century case."
Article 36 of the 2002 KPK Law stipulated that KPK leaders were not allowed to communicate directly and indirectly with suspects or other parties close to graft cases currently under KPK investigation. Similar stipulation is also included in the KPK's code of ethics.
Arief is a former member of the KPK Defender Team, a group of 20 lawyers who worked for advocacy for Chandra and the other KPK deputy chairman, Bibit Samad Rianto, when the two were charged with graft by the police last year.
Also attending the meeting at Puri Imperium were other team members, such as Alexander Lay, Taufik Basari and Fikri Assegaf, as well as former KPK deputy chairman, Erry Riana Hardjapamekas.
Chandra confirmed the meeting but denied it had been about the Century case. "We were talking about books," he told Antara.
Chandra claimed that he had told Bibit about the meeting but the latter denied it. "What meeting? I am on official duty in Balikpapan," Bibit said.
The KPK is now investigating alleged graft surrounding the Rp 6.76 trillion (US$716 million) bailout of Bank Century (now Bank Mutiara) in late 2008.
The House of Representatives in December 2009 formed an inquiry team on the case to investigate irregularities in the bailout.
Last month, a parliamentary plenary meeting received the result of the inquiry investigation, concluding that Bank Indonesia, the Financial System Stability Committee (KSSK), and the Deposit Insurance Corporation (LPS) were among institutions responsible for the fiasco. Chairing the KSSK was minister Mulyani.
KPK spokesman Johan Budi said that BI, the KSSK and the LPS, were among institutions the antigraft body had been investigating over the Century case.
Bibit and Chandra had been detained by the police for taking bribes from Anggodo. The accusation has was not proven. A public outcry, including the 1 million Facebooker movement for Bibit-Chandra, helped the acquittal of the two KPK leaders. Political observer Ray Rangkuti said Chandra's action might disappoint the public who had expressed great sympathy when the latter was arrested. "This is not the first time the KPK has acted suspiciously.
"How can the KPK survive against outside pressure over the Century case if its leader can't strengthen the institution," Ray said.
According to Taufik, the Imperium meeting was not about a case being investigated by the anticorruption body. "We were discussing the pre-trial lawsuit filed by Anggodo Widjojo against the SKPP," Taufik said.
Taufik said Erry's position at the meeting was as the KPK Defender Team's adviser.