President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Friday night said there was no need for Vice President Boediono and Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati to be suspended during the House investigation into the Bank Century bailout. “Neither Vice President Boediono nor Finance Minister Sri Mulyani have to be temporarily suspended or discharged” during the investigation, Yudhoyono told a press conference in Copenhagen, where he is attending the UN climate talks. The special House investigating committee on Thursday called for the president to suspend the two during the proceedings. Supporters of the pair have expressed hope the president would back them publicly. Yudhoyono said there was no legal basis for suspending the officials. He said he made the decision after talking to both Boediono and Sri Mulyani, who assured him that they could discharge their duties while answering questions posed by the House committee. He added that having them step aside would harm the economy.
