Vice President Boediono has been a favorite
political whipping boy lately.
Defying critics who were already furious that antigraft investigators might question him in his own offices, Vice President Boediono on Thursday sent an unambiguous message of confidence by holding the interview instead at the Presidential Palace.
Critics had lashed the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) for agreeing to question the vice president and Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati over the Bank Century scandal at their respective offices instead of at its headquarters.
Boediono’s spokesman, Yopie Hidayat, insisted the venue was merely a technical issue, adding that the vice president had an office in the Presidential Palace.
The location of the interview did not break any law, he said, adding that the KPK had conducted similar sessions outside its office many times before. “Let’s not politicize things,” he said.
While declining to say that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono may have been demonstrating his support for his vice president by summoning him to the palace on the day he was due to be questioned at the vice presidential offices, Yopie said the president had already spoken in support of Boediono and Sri Mulyani several times.
“If SBY gave moral support to Boediono as a colleague in the cabinet, as the vice president, it is a normal thing,” Yopie said.
But he also stressed that showing support for Boediono did not mean the president was putting pressure on the KPK. Yudhoyono and Boediono “were probably discussing other government agendas” in their meeting earlier on Thursday, Yopie said.
Lawmaker Ahmad Yani, from the United Development Party (PPP), said the KPK’s special treatment of the two officials set a bad example. “So in future, if any one of us is summoned by the KPK for investigation, we will urge them to come here instead of us going there,” Ahmad said.
Fadjroel Rachman, of the Anti-Corruption Civil Society Coalition (Kompak), said Boediono had disrespected the antigraft agency and the legal system.
“The KPK had tried to facilitate Boediono’s request by conducting the inquiry at the Vice-Presidential Palace. The KPK was told to wait, only to be told to go somewhere else moments later,” Fadjroel told.
“Boediono acted as if the inquiry and the legal process were not important.”
Muhammad Jasin, KPK deputy for graft prevention, said nothing stopped the commission from holding preliminary investigations outside its offices “unless the case has gone to the investigation process. Then the inquiry must be done at our office,” he said.
In the past, the KPK had questioned former Bank Indonesia Governor Burhanudin Abdullah, former Supreme Court chairman Bagir Manan and several governors at their respective offices, Jasin said.
Arya Fernandez, a political analyst for Charta Politika, chalked up the lawmakers’ criticisms to “KPK’s failure to give a proper explanation.”
Lawmaker Gayus Lumbuun, of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), wondered why Sri Mulyani was only questioned for two-and-a-half hours. The KPK said she would be questioned again on Tuesday.
