TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Anti-graft watchdog, the Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) criticized the government's effort to eradicate corruption and questioned the government's seriousness in committing to such effort.

"Corruption eradication in the recent past had just been lip service. It is merely writing on paper without any concrete implementation," said ICW researcher Kurnia Ramadhana in a virtual conference on Thursday, October 21, 2021.

Ramadhana highlighted the downfall of corruption eradication to the government and House of Representatives (DPR), which was sparked by the emergence of the KPK inquiry. At the time, DPR members forced the KPK to disclose the recording of an investigation against a defendant of a major corruption scandal, even though disclosing pieces of evidence are only permitted to be revealed in a court of law.

"DPR was adamant and even said that an inquiry can be expected if [the recording] is not handed over," said Ramadhana.

Other signs that marked the degradation of the anti-graft organization, according to ICW, was the violation of the code of ethics when Firli Bahuri was appointed as the organization’s new leader, which led to the revision of KPK Law.

"The process and its content are troublesome. Full of political nuances that became an entrance door to mislead interpretations regarding the transfer of employee status," said the ICW researcher.

ICW urges the government to take actual steps to eradicate corruption and prevent further degradation in the country's Corruption Perception Index.

ANDITA RAHMA