Erwida Maulia, Jakarta – The controversial Cikeas Octopus book that links President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to the Bank Century bailout has become an instant hit – if only one can find a copy.
Most bookstores across the country are not carrying the title. The few that did carry George Junus Aditjondro's Membongkar Gurita Cikeas: Di Balik Skandal Bank Century (Unmasking the Cikeas Octopus: Behind the Bank Century Scandal) have sold out their stocks.
The country's largest bookstores, meanwhile, Gramedia and Toko Gunung Agung (TGA), have decided to play it safe and check its content first, following earlier reports they had refused to carry the title.
"TGA's purchasing department sent us an email saying they won't distribute the book yet because they still want to scrutinize it," Andi Basuki, from Yogyakarta-based publisher Galang Press, said Monday.
It was reported earlier in the day that two TGA stores in Jakarta would sell 2,000 copies of the book, after the TGA outlet in Kwitang, Central Jakarta, sold 50 copies Saturday.
Over at Gramedia, marketing staff at several of its stores denied being ordered not to sell the book. Gramedia Pustaka Utama marketing general manager Nung Atasana told vivanews.com he had not heard of the title being sold at any Gramedia store.
Other officials at Gramedia and TGA could not be reached for comment on their reported refusal to sell the book.
Galang Press executive director Julius Felicianus said he had been informed "someone powerful" had ordered the bookstores not to sell the book.
Andi said 1,400 copies that his company had printed had sold out in two days. In Bandung and Semarang, a similar trend has also been reported.
In the book and in national media afterward, George hinted at a link between the President and Century.
"One of the biggest customers of Bank Century was Budi Sampoerna, who also contributed funds to the President and his Democratic Party," he said. "Budi invested Rp 150 billion [US$16 million] in the Jurnal Nasional group of publications."
The publications effectively served as the mouthpiece for Yudhoyono and his party ahead of the elections earlier this year.
Presidential spokesman Julian Aldrin Pasha said Yudhoyono had been made aware of the book's claims, which he had called "inaccurate" due to the "rampant use of secondary data".
"The authenticity and validity of this secondary data must be further investigated," Julian said. "It is the writer's responsibility to explain the process and methodology he used to reach the conclusions he made in this book.
"We'll decide on the next step to take after hearing [George's] explanation at the official launch of the book, which I hear is planned for Dec. 30."
Julian also denied allegations the President had any role in stopping the book going on sale, and played down speculation that Yudhoyono planned to send the author a warning letter.