Hans David Tampubolon, Jakarta – Former finance minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati can leave the country for the US with ease as the Attorney General's Office (AGO) said it could not touch her or Vice President Boediono in connection to the Bank Century bailout.
Attorney General Hendarman Supandji, told legislators at the House of Representatives on Wednesday the AGO could not summon Boediono and Mulyani for questioning related to the bailout as the case had been handled by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).
"The 2002 law clearly states that if the KPK has begun an investigation into a certain case, then the AGO is not authorized to probe into the same case," Hendarman told reporters after a hearing with the House monitoring team on the Bank Century case.
"Only if the KPK decides to hand over the case to us could we launch an investigation."
The bailout, which rose tenfold to Rp 6.76 trillion (US$716 million) from its original estimate, was authorized in November 2008 by Mulyani and Boediono, the then Bank Indonesia governor.
Both Boediono and Mulyani have persistently defended the bailout as necessary move to save the country's banking industry from the adverse impacts of the global financial crisis
The House inquiry, however, found last March the bailout was flawed and riddled with graft. The lawmakers officially recommended legal measures by the AGO, KPK and the police against those held responsible for the bailout.
However, Attorney General Hendarman Supandji said the AGO could not summon Boediono and Mulyani for questioning because they had been summoned and investigated by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).
Hendrawan Supratikno from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) criticized the AGO's move, which he said focused mostly on Bank Century branch managers.
"Why haven't you investigated the middle level? This is the level where most of the violations occurred," said Hendarman.
Another team member, Tjatur Sapto Edi from the National Mandate Party (PAN), said he was unimpressed by the AGO's commitment and performance on following up the case.
"You [the AGO] only focused on the shareholders... what about other matters?" Tjatur said.
"I also feel confused about the division of labor among the AGO, the KPK and the police in the case. I would like to request you to reveal the respective authority of each institution in investigating the case."
The monitoring team's interim chairman, Priyo Budi Santoso from the Golkar Party, said that every single law enforcement institution had been moving too slow in investigating the case.
"We see and feel the law enforcers are not working at the level we need. There is progress, but it is still not enough by the House's standard," Priyo said.
"We want the case to be investigated at 120 kilometers per hour, while the law enforcers only manage to run at 70 kilometers per hour."
Priyo also said the team planned to have a simultaneous meeting with all three law enforcement institutions as soon as possible. "We are going to invite them all so that none of them can throw the responsibilities to the other," he said.