PDI-P legislator denies ties with Bank Century bailout funds

Emir Moeis, from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) says that he has no connection with funds from the Bank Century bailout.

"I was one of the bank's depositors and I had been since 2004. However, ever since the bank was bailed out [in 2008], I have not made any transaction of any kind with the bank," he told a press conference at the House of Representatives in Jakarta on Monday.

Emir's colleague, who is also one of the deputy chairmen on the House inquiry team, Gayus Lumbuun, said the accusation against Emir was completely baseless.

"This issue could be used to divert the committee from its investigation," he said.

The committee is specially assigned to probe the Bank Century bailout that ballooned to Rp 6.76 trillion (US$716 million) from its original estimate.

Emir was said to have made a number of suspicious transactions with the bank, according to the Monday's edition of the Tempo daily newspaper.