Jakarta – A former police general will head Indonesia's first five-member anti-corruption commission, dubbed a "super agency", given its authority to summon and investigate state officials and members of parliament without seeking presidential approvals.
Inspector-General Taufiqqurochman Ruki was chosen by secret ballot late on Tuesday, said Mr Patrialis Akbar, a member of the parliamentary commission which elected the panel. Team members include a former president of state tin mining company Timah and a former commissioner at the Jakarta Stock Exchange.
Insp-Gen Ruki's experience in the police force "will be very helpful in investigating corruption, including by generals", Mr Akbar said.
He said the vote is expected to be endorsed by a full meeting of parliament today and members would be sworn in by the President on December 27. The Corruption Eradication Commission, whose establishment has been postponed several times since 1999, will have the authority to investigate and prosecute cases.
Corruption cases were previously the domain of the police and the prosecutors' office.
The International Monetary Fund had called for the establishment of the body amid criticism that widespread graft is undermining Indonesia's investment climate. In October, the Berlin-based group Transparency International listed Indonesia among the world's most corrupt nations.
As soon as the names of the commission members were made public, critics expressed doubt over the choices for the anti-corruption job. Some wondered whether they could live up to public expectations, reported local media.
They said strong candidates like former attorney-general Marsilam Simanjuntak and prosecutor M. Yamin drew only a few votes from legislators. "The House is apparently afraid of choosing tough and credible candidates," a member of the selection committee, Mr Todung Mulya Lubis, was quoted as saying by The Jakarta Post.
Indonesia Corruption Watch's Mr Teten Masduki called the election a "political choice by the House", the Kompas daily reported.