OCCRP: The World's Corrupted Leader Finalist Jokowi

Photo By Andry Winarko VOI

JAKARTA - The name of the former President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, seems to have never run out of discussion in the world of politics in the country. Starting from his desire for three terms to political jokes at the end of his position as the number one person on earth. Now, at the end of 2024, Joko Widodo or commonly called Jokowi returns to making noise after the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) included him in the list of finalist nominations for organized and corruption figures in 2024.

Di dalam situs OCCRP, tepatya di link artikel yang berjudul “Bashar al-Assad” (https://www.occrp.org/en/person-of-the-year/bashar-al-assad) nama Jokowi berada diurutan kedua sebagai finalis pemimpin terkorup di dunia. Empat finalis lain di antaranya Presiden Kenya, William Ruto; Presiden Nigeria Bola Ahmed Tinubu; mantan perdana menteri Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina; dan pebisnis India, Gautam Adani. Para juri dari OCCRP telah memutuskan pemenang dari pemimpin terkorup di dunia tahun 2024 jatuh kepada Bashar al-Assad. Putusan tersebut terletak dalam tabel di sebelah kanan bawah.

The judges of OCCRP in 2024 consist of Dr. Susan Hawley, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, Alia Ibrahim, Paul Radu, Louise umur and lastly Drew Sullivan. According to OCCRP, Joko Widodo's reason for joining a number of other countries' leaders who were elected as finalists for the corruption figures came from the public nominations who received the most online support globally. Therefore, it is considered to have reason to be included.

Penjelasan OCCRP ini ada di artikel berjudul “Behind the Decision (Indonesia): How OCCRP’s ‘Person of the Year’ Highlights the Fight Against Corruption”, (https://www.occrp.org/en/announcement/behind-the-decision-indonesia-how-occrps-person-of-the-year-highlights-the-fight-against-corruption) OCCRP telah memberikan klarifikasi proses seleksi, di mana nama Jokowi masuk sebagai finalis pemimpin terkorup dunia.

OCCRP has no evidence that Jokowi was involved in corruption for personal financial gain during his term of office. However, civil society groups and experts say that the Jokowi administration significantly weakens Indonesia's anti-corruption commission. Jokowi was also widely criticized for destroying the Indonesian general election and judiciary to benefit his son's political ambition, who is now vice president under the new president Prabowo Subianto.

"The judges appreciate citizen nominations, but in some cases, there is not enough direct evidence of significant corruption or pattern of longstanding violations," said OCCRP Publisher Drew Sullivan. However, there is clearly a strong perception among citizens about corruption and this should be a warning to those nominated that the public is supervising, and they care. We will also continue to monitor.

The President of the Republic of Indonesia-The 7th Joko Widodo responded to his name being included in the list of corrupt leaders in 2024 as released by OCCRP. He rejected the OCCRP accusation. He asked OCCRP to include his name on the list to prove it.

"Corrupted? What Corruption? What corruption?," he said as quoted from the Antara website, Tuesday (31/12/2024).

Jokowi emphasized that currently there is a lot of slander that comes to him. When asked about the political content behind the nomination of the corrupt leader, Jokowi even laughed in front of reporters.

According to him, certain parties can use community organizations to make accusations. "You can use mass organizations to accuse, to create malicious framing, to make criminal accusations like that," he concluded.

Answer For Jokowi

Former Secretary of BUMN, Muhammad Said Didu answered the rebuttal of the 7th President of the Republic of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, and revealed 5 clusters of alleged corruption. He said the first cluster was corruption to gain power and perpetuate political dynasties. The second cluster is to imprison political opponents, but protect political friends. Such as the case of salt imports, cooking oil, BTS, which just evaporated. The third cluster is related to Jokowi's personal ambition. Said Didu said there was a subcluster related to this, namely related to legacy as if Jokowi was successful, but instead detrimental to the people. Such as building fast trains, building very expensive infrastructure that causes SOEs to go bankrupt and the people lose.

"Building IKN and building airports that are not needed at all for Jokowi's personal ambition. The second personal ambition is related to the family, we still remember the nickel smuggling case mentioned by the late Faisal Basri involving Airlangga Hartarto and Bobby Nasution, then the Medan block case," said Said Didu in a video upload on his personal social media.

The fourth cluster is the use of state money to bribe the people. Said Didu said that the state debt was used for the social assistance of imaging in order to bribe the people. The fifth or last cluster is corruption by bribing the oligarchs, which is the main supporter of Jokowi's power and dynasty. "Now the peak is the provision of PSN (to oligarchs) in various places and other facilities, it is very clear that it is detrimental to the state, detrimental to the people. You imagine the example of PIK 2 people being forced with PSN status, and Rempang as well," he said.

Support from the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) was also conveyed on the official website of theylbhi.or.id website. YLBHI management assessed that there were 10 factors of the 7th President of the Republic of Indonesia Joko Widodo being nominated as the world's most corrupt figure, by a non-profit organization called the Organization Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP). "YLBHI sees that there are at least 10 factors that Jokowi deserves to be called corruptors," he wrote.

Furthermore, YLBHI mentioned the 10 factors that made Jokowi worthy of being called a corrupt figure, among others as follows:

1. Systematic Weakening of the KPK2. ?Revision of Mineral and Coal Mining Law (2020)3.?Omnibus Law and Appraisal Check and Balances4. ?Nol Meritocracy System 5.? Revive Military Dwifunction6.? State-Owned Enterprises Become Volunteer-Owned Enterprises7.?Intelidigens for Political Interests

Allegations For Jokowi Given By Barisan Are Heartache

The founder of the Haidar Alwi Institute, R Haidar Alwi, cannot be proven by polling or polling, but through trials in court. Until now, not a single court decision has found Jokowi guilty of committing a criminal act of corruption.

In fact, allegations of organized crime in the presidential election to win one of the candidate pairs are also not proven in the Constitutional Court (MK). "If the methodology is correct, the OCCRP jury should not have passed Jokowi's proposed name. Because, how can you include someone's name on the list while there is not a single court decision that convicts him of guilt for the crimes alleged? Obviously this is a real mistake," he said, Wednesday, January 1, 2025.

The 7th President of the Republic of Indonesia, Joko Widodo. (ANTARA/HO-Biro Press Setpres)

"It's okay"

"It's okay"

"It's okay"

"It's okay"

He stated that the title pinned by OCCRP against Jokowi was only an baseless proposal from voting rights holders in polls or polls. As a result, it can damage Jokowi's reputation and good name in the eyes of the Indonesian people, even the world.

The defense of Joko Widodo (Jokowi) was conveyed by the Deputy Chairperson of the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) DPP, Andy Budiman. He highlighted the publication of the Organizational Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) reflecting the voices of a row of heartache. "That's the voice of a row of heartache from a group that has not been able to move on from the defeat of the presidential election yesterday. There is a digital footprint that OCCRP opens to the public to nominate the Corrupt Person of The Year until last December 5. So there is a poll. Well, the row of heartaches mobilized the voice," Andy said in a written message received by VOI.

Academics and criminal law expert at Trisaksi University, Albert Aries, assessed allegations by the Organizational Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) to the 7th President of the Republic of Indonesia, Joko Widodo (Jokowi) as an organizational Crime and Corruption figure in 2024 that is not accompanied by evidence can be qualified as slander and insult to the sovereignty of the Indonesian nation.

"The allegations of corruption without legal basis and not accompanied by sufficient preliminary evidence, or 'Trial by NGO' by OCCRP are clearly not only aimed at Jokowi, but also the Indonesian government. For 10 years the Jokowi government must be full of shortfalls, but after all, there are also many good things inherited by Jokowi," he concluded.