Dicky Christanto, Jakarta – Anti-graft activists praised the Corruption Eradication Commission's (KPK) latest move to send their former director of investigations, Brig. Gen. Yurod Saleh, back to the National Police headquarters due to his alleged close associations with graft defendant Muhammad Nazaruddin. However they also criticized the KPK for not previously revealing the links between both men to the public.

"We appreciate the KPK's latest move to return Yurod Saleh to the National Police headquarters due to the alleged links with Nazaruddin but the KPK should clarify that nothing inappropriate occurred during Muhammad Nazaruddin's questioning process as a result of this association," Emerson Yuntho of the Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

Coordinator of the Indonesia Police Watch (IPW) Neta S Pane agreed that the KPK should have gone public first to reassure the nation that Yurod hadn't managed to impede the interrogation process of Nazaruddin before returning him to his original position. "The KPK should be able to address this speculation or else they will be considered as lacking in discipline with regard to their own staff," he said.

He suggested that the KPK should conduct an investigation of Yurod and examine various sources to make sure that he hadn't intervened during the investigation into Nazaruddin. He added that if Yurod was later found guilty of such interference then he should be severely punished.

According to the KPK, there are currently five candidates from the police force who are being considered as replacements for Yurod.