Hans David Tampobolon, Jakarta – Former police chief detective Comr. Gen. Susno Duadji has submitted to parliament a statement implicating Vice President Boediono in alleged wrongdoing in the Bank Century bailout, a legislator announced Tuesday.
The Prosperous Justice Party's (PKS) Andi Rahmat, also a member of the House of Representatives' inquiry committee into the bailout, said Susno had handed the 12-page statement to the committee during his questioning on Jan. 20, 2010.
On the last page, Andi said, Susno had noted that there had been "special consideration" and "policy from the police" to not prioritize the investigation into Century.
"The consideration was that there was someone within the KSSK [Financial System Stability Committee] who at the time was running as a vice-presidential candidate in the election [of July 2009]," the Nov. 29, 2009, statement read in part.
"This revelation, of course, would have had severe repercussions if the investigation had gone ahead at the time."
The reference is to Boediono, who was the central bank governor and a KSSK member at the time of the Rp 6.76 trillion (US$716 million) bailout in November 2008. The KSSK was chaired by Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati.
Boediono was questioned by the House committee on Jan. 12, and calls have mounted for both him and Mulyani to be axed for their roles in the bailout.
Susno, currently on minor pilgrimage in Mecca, said his statement would form part of a book he was writing, A True and Loyal Officer, set for publication soon.
National Police chief detective Insp. Gen. Ito Sumardi said Wednesday he had sought clarification from Susno, and had concluded that the statement was simply the latter's own assessment or assumption.
Legal expert Irmanputra Sidin said Susno's statement was "a strong clue" for the committee to take up in its inquiry into the case.
A committee member from Yudhoyono's Democratic Party, Benny K. Harman, said the statement was "just Susno exercising a bit of creativity in writing his memoirs."
Vice-presidential spokesman Yoppie S. Hidayat said Susno's statement did not constitute an official testimony.