Jakarta: The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) chairman Abraham Samad has clarified his previous statement that the commission lacked the authority to summon Vice President Boediono in relation to the 2008 Bank Century bailout scandal.

"I want to clarify a few statements that circulated after a meeting with the House of Representative's special committee on Tuesday. The KPK has never hesitated to summon anyone, even if the person is the Vice President," he said in a press conference on Wednesday.

"I never said that KPK could not summon or prosecute the VP. What I was said was that the House could summon the VP without having to wait for the KPK to name him a suspect [in the Bank Century bailout scandal]," he added.

Summoning the VP for questioning, Abraham said, could be "a further development" after the commission questions two suspects in the case.

KPK declared two former deputy Bank Indonesia (BI) governors - Siti Chalimah Fadjrijah and Budi Mulia - suspects during the hearing with committee on Tuesday.

Lawmakers were disappointed by the two names, expecting Boediono, who was then the BI governor, to be responsible for the dubious loans to Bank Century.

Lawmaker Akbar Faisal of the People's Conscience Party (Hanura) said that the KPK did not have the courage to summon Boediono. (lfr)