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)