KPK NOT INFLUENCED BY PRESIDENT'S SPEECH ON CENTURY

Jakarta, March 5 (ANTARA) - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) will not be influenced by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's speech justifying the government's decision to bail out Bank Century, a spokesman said here Friday.

"The KPK remains independent. We will work in line with the legal descriptions of our task and our authority," KPK spokesman Johan Budi said in response to newsmen's questions on the effect of the president's speech in reaction to the outcome of the House of Representatives (DPR)'s plenary session on the Bank Century bailout.

Johan said KPK was a law enforcement agency so it was working in the law enforcement field.

He said KPK was working based upon evidence and would not be influenced by opinions that developed in the community.

To make its handling clear KPK therefore conducted an expose of the case on Friday. The expose was forum for discussing developments in the investigation conducted by KPK so far, he said.

He said in the expose investigators would present various findings and data including from the results of investigations by various state institutions such as the Supreme Audit Board (BPK), the Financial Transactions Analysis and Report Center (PPATK) and the House of Representatives (DPR).

Johan said the expose was done behind closed doors and attended by all KPK executives, investigators and a number of officials from the directorates of investigation and prosecution.

"They exclusively discussed the Bank Century case," he said.

In connection with the Bank Century case the KPK had questioned a number of officials from the central bank, the Deposit Insurance Agency (LPS) and the Capital Market and Financial Institutions Supervisory Agency (Bapepam-LK).