Sjahril claims board of governors support him

Sjahril claims board of governors support him

JAKARTA (JP): The embattled Bank Indonesia Governor Sjahril
Sabirin said on Friday that the board of governors has decided to
retain him as the governor of the central bank despite his
current status as a suspect in the high profile Bank Bali
scandal.

Sjahril said that in a late Wednesday meeting, the board
concluded that his current status so far didn't affect his
ability to lead the central bank.

"The board thinks that the investigation so far doesn't affect
my duty. But if it later does, I will delegate (the
governorship) to the senior deputy governor," he told reporters,
referring to Anwar Nasution.

Sjahril, however, stressed once again that he would not step
down from the central bank just because of political pressure.

He said that he would reclaim the central bank's leadership if
the investigation was no longer affecting his ability to carry
out his duties as Bank Indonesia governor.

The House of Representatives commission IX on state budget and
banking during a recent hearing session with Bank Indonesia said
in one of its recommendations that the board of governors should
decide whether Sjahril's status would impair his duty, and
whether he would be temporarily suspended.

The House made the recommendation following a high profile
showdown between Sjahril and President Abdurrahman Wahid,
popularly called Gus Dur.

Sjahril has accused Gus Dur of intervening in the central
bank, which is supposed to be independent.

Sjahril told the parliament that Gus Dur had repeatedly called
for him to step down from the central bank or risk being named a
suspect in the Bank Bali scandal.

But Sjahril denied any involvement in the bank scandal, and
said that he would be violating the new law on the independency
of Bank Indonesia if he resigned because of political pressure.

Sources said that Sjahril is scheduled to be summoned for
questioning by the Attorney General's Office on Monday in
relation to the Bank Bali scandal.

There's also rumors that the Attorney General's Office will
issue a detention for Sjahril.

"I don't understand why there has to be a detention. But if
it is true, I will have to delegate the governorship to the
senior deputy governor," Sjahril said.

Separately, senior deputy governor Anwar rejected Sjahril's
statements. He said that the board of governors had not made any
decision in relation to the fate of Sjahril.

Anwar also stressed that the board had no authority to suspend
any of its members because such a decision must be made by the
House as stipulated by the new central bank law, approved by
parliament last year.

"It's the House which has the power to take our lives," he
told reporters following a Friday prayer.

He also said that the recommendation made by the House to let
the board of governors decide the fate of Sjahril was not in
accordance with the Bank Indonesia law.

Anwar said that the status of Sjahril's implication in the
Bank Bali case was his personal affair.

He said that it's up to the law and the House to decide the
fate of Sjahril, who was appointed by the House as Bank Indonesia
Governor in May 1999 for a four-year term.

"We don't want to be involved in politics," he said.

But Anwar said that the central bank was disappointed with the
way the government treated Sjahril.

"We are offended at how the government treats Sjahril. He's
Bank Indonesia's Governor," he said, pointing out that Sjahril
was summoned by the President several times and asked to step
down from Bank Indonesia. (rei)