SBY PRESIDENCY.President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his Democratic Party indicate they may leave Vice President Boediono and Finance Minister Sri Mulyani out to dry over the contentious Bank Century bailout.

The probe into the case is intensifying, with the House of Representatives’ inquiry committee into the
Rp 6.76 trillion (US$716 million) bailout — initially estimated at about Rp 1 trillion — set to hold its first plenary session Monday.

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is also joining the fray, announcing Saturday it had found indications of crimes in the decision to bail out the ailing bank.

On Sunday, Yudhoyono left on a weeklong European trip without speaking on the issue, effectively leaving the fate of Mulyani and Boediono, two of his most trusted technocrats, in the hands of his Democratic Party.

For its part, Democratic Party deputy chairman Achmad Mubarok told The Jakarta Post on Sunday that investigating the two would be up to the 30-member inquiry committee, which the party dominates.

“Whether [Mulyani or Boediono] are asked to resign from their posts will depend on the committee’s final recommendations,” he said.

Denny Indrayana, Yudhoyono’s special adviser on legal affairs, indicated the President would take a very cautious approach in dealing with the political impact of the inquiry on his position, saying he would think twice about agreeing to be questioned by the committee.

“If a summons for questioning doesn’t carry any political burden, perhaps the President will turn up before the committee,” Denny said Saturday.

“But such an inquiry may end in a motion for impeachment, so we have to take all things into consideration.”

In 2001, a House inquiry into alleged misappropriation by the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) led to the impeachment of then president Abdurrahman Wahid.

Inquiry committee deputy chairman Gayus Lumbuun, from the opposition Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said Yudhoyono should be summoned to clarify last year’s issuance and implementation of a government regulation-in-lieu-of-law on a financial system security net, since expired, which provided the legal basis for the bailout.

As accusations abound of backroom deals being struck to bail out Century, the KPK said Friday it had identified a number of crimes committed in authorizing the bailout in November last year.

“These include banking crimes, money laundering, corruption and administrative violations,” said KPK spokesman Johan Budi.

In its report on the bailout, the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) also pointed out possible procedural violations in the decision to salvage the ailing bank.

Most legislators on the inquiry committee say Boediono and Mulyani will definitely be hauled up for questioning.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal last week, Mulyani said she believed the probe was politically motivated to get rid of her.

She added her reform agenda had rubbed some people the wrong way, particularly in the Golkar Party, whose chairman, Aburizal Bakrie, she said, held a grudge against her.

The Golkar Party is the Democratic Party’s biggest coalition partner at the House, and one of its legislators, Idrus Marham, is the inquiry committee chairman.

Democratic Party secretary-general Amir Syamsudin said his party would not delve into any personal matters between Mulyani and Aburizal.(The Jakarta Post )