Asia-Pacific

Indonesian president appoints new anti-graft officials

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Indonesia’s president has appointed three new officials to lead an anti-corruption commission after the suspension of its chairman and deputy head amid a row with the police.

President Joko Widodo swore in Andrianto Seno Aji, Taufiequrrachman Ruki and Johan Budi during a ceremony at the presidential palace in Indonesia’s capital city of Jakarta on Friday.

They will replace the chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), Abraham Samad, and his deputy, Bambang Widjojanto, after police labeled them as suspects in separate cases. Bambang was arrested last month over an old perjury case.

The third post was filled after a member of the commission finished his term last year.

The president also recommended this week that General Commissioner Badrodin Haiti head the national police, after the KPK named the previous nominee, Budi Gunawan, a suspect in a multi-milllon-dollar bribery case dating back to 2006 when he was head of a police human resource department.

Following the announcement by the KPK, Widodo, who became president last October, has requested the anti-graft commission vet his cabinet picks.

The powerful KPK anti-graft commission has prosecuted former ministers, governors, legislators and central bank chiefs since it started operating in late 2003.

Widodo came to power after promising a campaign of zero tolerance on corruption.

According to Transparency International, Indonesia ranked the 107th most corrupt country out of 175 nations in its 2014 corruption perception index.

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