Corruption - Indonesia at Melbourne

All eyes on politicians: luxury brands and public scrutiny

This is about more than just luxury handbags, designer shoes, or expensive watches. It is about visibility and power in the digital age. Social media has fundamentally transformed the relationship between citizens and political elites by enabling ordinary people to scrutinise, archive, and interpret the everyday lives of those in authority.

Police vs prosecutors? Indonesia’s latest corruption scandal exposes elite fracturing under Prabowo

Analysis, Corruption, Law, Politics

The corruption case implicating top prosecutor Febrie Adriansyah reflects not only the institutional rivalry between the police and the prosecutors. It also exposes the broader conflicts involving major oligarchic factions in the country.

Talking Indonesia: corruption in Prabowo-Gibran's first year

Corruption, Policies, Talking Indonesia

Corruption is always a hot topic in Indonesia, but where does the situation stand right now? In this episode, we talk to Egi Primayogha, the advocacy coordinator for the NGO Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW), about their assessment of the current government and their recent report entitled Catatan Kritis (or critical notes) on the first year of the Prabawo-Gibran government.

Are Prabowo’s pardons for Hasto and Tom political?

Analysis, Corruption, Law

Regardless of his motives, Prabowo’s decision to grant the pardons raises fundamental questions that demand serious reflection. Will pardons be extended to other corruption cases? If so, what criteria govern such decisions, and how do we ensure they are not wielded arbitrarily or politically?

Prabowo’s populist war on corruption. Can it really work?

Analysis, Corruption, Politics

Regardless of all the rhetoric, if Prabowo’s war on corruption, framed as one of his populist promises, ultimately ends up selectively targeting his political enemies and protecting his allies, it will be primarily serving his own interests rather than those of the public.

Opposition figure Tom Lembong jailed for graft. Questions linger about his conviction.

Corruption, Law, Politics

While corruption trials have virtually become a national pastime in Indonesia, where the public sector is widely perceived to be profoundly corrupt, the case against Lembong has attracted public attention for a different reason. Critics have highlighted the irregularities in his prosecution, fuelling speculation that the charges levelled against him were politically motivated.

Talking Indonesia: the history of corruption in Indonesia

Corruption, Talking Indonesia

Corruption in Indonesia is widely acknowledged to be a complex issue and deeply entrenched in Indonesian culture. However, this overlooks the generally accepted notion among historians that corruption in Indonesia and other post-colonial nations is, at least partially, rooted in colonialism and the abuses of power and wealth during that period.

The end of KPK prosecutions? The Gazabla Saleh case

Corruption, Law

In late May 2024, Indonesia’s Anti-corruption Commission (KPK) began prosecuting former Supreme Court Judge Gazalba Saleh in the Central Jakarta District Court. On the surface, there appeared to be nothing unusual about this case. However, the decision the three judges handed down in Saleh’s case was anything but usual. They unanimously accepted his eksepsi, holding that KPK prosecutors had no authority.

Struggling to put on the integrity jacket: anti-corruption commitments beyond 2024

2024 Indonesian Elections, Corruption

On 17 January, a little less than a month before 204 million registered Indonesian voters will cast their votes for a new president and national parliament, over 3,000 YouTubers tuned in to watch 'The Integrity Pact’. So, what was the Integrity Pact and what can it tell us about the future of anti-corruption efforts in Indonesia?

Posted in: Corruption