A member of the committee tasked with selecting commissioners on the Corruption Eradication Commission has rejected suggestions that three high-profile candidates were rejected because of alleged improper links to fugitive graft suspect Muhammad Nazaruddin.

Selection committee secretary Achmad Ubbe told the media that Nazaruddin's recent allegations implicating the three senior members of the commission, also known as the KPK, "were not a factor" in their failing to make the cut during the selection process.

"But, we agreed that we wanted to keep the KPK away from controversies, because they do more harm than good for the commission," Achmad said.

The knocked-out candidates were the agency's deputy chairman for graft enforcement, Chandra Hamzah; chief of graft investigation and prosecution, Insp. Gen. Ade Raharja; and spokesman, Johan Budi.