Jakarta – The Indonesian police force, widely perceived as the most corrupt institution in the country, is nominating its officials to fill the leading posts of the country's top anti-graft watchdog.

"The National Police have their candidates. I don't remember the names, but they are both active and retired officers," Destry Damayanti, head of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) selection committee, said on Monday in Jakarta, as quoted by news portal CNNIndonesia.com.

Destry said that all Indonesian citizens have equal rights to occupy high-level positions at the KPK as long as they fulfill the requirements set by the selection committee.

The selection committee began taking applications from the public on Friday morning, with a deadline set for June 24.

The KPK has previously had former police officers among its leaders, namely incumbent interim chairman Taufiequrachman Ruki and 2007-11 deputy chairman Bibit Samad Rianto.

The current police chief, Gen. Badrodin Haiti, has previously said that he hoped there would be active or former cops appointed to the KPK leadership.

Last Friday, Comr. Gen. Budi Waseso, chief of detectives at the National Police, announced that officers for the first time in the KPK's 12-year history would be involved in the selection of new commissioners at the agency.

Destry denied accusations that if police officers were elected as KPK commissioners, they would try to destroy the institution from within, especially at a time when the police force is seen as escalating its conflict with the agency.

The detectives' unit, Budi's office, has charged two KPK commissioners – Abraham Samad and Bambang Widjojanto, both suspended – on criminal charges in cases dating back up to a decade. Police have also named a leading KPK investigator and former police official, Novel Baswedan, a suspect in a separate case.

All the charges are widely seen as being trumped up, brought in retaliation against KPK's decision in January to name Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan – now the deputy chief of the National Police – a corruption suspect.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/national-police-nominate-officers-KPK-leadership/