Ezra Sihite – The House of Representatives Ethics Council has welcomed findings by a finance watchdog regarding suspicious "fat" bank accounts belonging to 18 House members, but the council appears in no rush to follow up on the report.

"This is just initial information and we are not yet seeing that there is a precise indication [of wrongdoing]. We will summon only after we have those indications," Ethics Council deputy chairman Siswono Yudohusodo said on Thursday.

The Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) earlier in the day said it pinpointed 18 suspiciously large bank accounts belonging to House Budget Committee members.

Siswono said the council would study the findings and make sure that they concern members of the current House Budget Committee and not previous members.

"We appreciate the PPATK's research on irregular transaction flows, but we will only summon [the members] after the indications are found," he said regarding possible ethical violations.

M. Prakosa, the chairman of the Ethics Council, also welcomed the PPATK information but expressed hope that the findings were sound and reached by following pertinent rules and regulations. "It should be in line with what the affirmed rules are," he said.

Meanwhile, Indra, a member of House Commission III on legal affairs, called on the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to immediately investigate the PPATK findings.

"The KPK should follow up the report from the PPATK on the 18 members of the House of Representatives with fat bank accounts," said Indra, a lawmaker from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS).

He said the KPK had the authority to ask for more detailed information on the suspected accounts, including the account holders' identities. He said the fat accounts should be suspected of having accumulated their wealth through corrupt practices.

"The legal umbrella is there, there is a law on money laundering and in an investigation, the KPK should, from early on, process it with the principle of [reverse] burden of proof," he said.

Under the principle, it is up to the suspect to prove to the court that money or assets in his or her name did not come from corruption. He also said that to deter corruption, graft convicts should be made to pay a steep financial price, adding that "the confiscation of the assets of corruptors is very important."