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ne-time graft convict and Padjajaran University legal expert Romli Atmasasmita has said he is ready to be appointed chairman of a selection team tasked with recruiting new Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) commissioners for the 2015-2019 term.

Romli, who was sentenced to two years in prison for graft in 2009, said he had been informed about Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna H. Laoly'€™s plan to appoint him as chairman of the team.

'€œYes, I am ready because this is a mandate from the government. I have no problem,'€ Romli told The Jakarta Post.

At the height of the KPK-National Police standoff in February, Romli, gave testimony in a pretrial hearing at the South Jakarta District Court in defense of then National Police chief candidate Comr. Budi Gunawan, who was named a bribery suspect by the KPK in January.

In September 2009, the South Jakarta district court found Romli guilty of graft in connection with the Law and Human Rights Ministry'€™s online business registration service project. He was implicated in the graft case in his capacity as the former director general for legal administration who initiated the project.

In February 2010, the Jakarta High Court reduced his sentence to one year in prison. In December 2010, a Supreme Court verdict freed him from prison.

Contacted separately, Law and Human Rights Ministry senior official Ahmad Ubbe could not confirm whether Romli was Yasonna'€™s top pick for chairman of the KPK selection team.

'€œThe coordinating political, legal, and security affairs minister has yet to ask the Law and Human Rights Ministry to submit the names of candidates for the selection members and chairman,'€ Ubbe told the Post, adding that candidates'€™ names would later be submitted to the President for approval.

The KPK and Corruption watchdogs have expressed concerns over Yasonna'€™s plan to appoint Romli as chairman of the selection team.

Corruption watchdogs have called on President Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo to only approve credible candidates for the position, those who with no political ties.

Acting deputy KPK chairman Johan Budi said that Jokowi should consider appointing credible high-profile individuals, as dubious candidates could compromise selection results.

'€œIt also means that [the members and chairman of the team] must not be affiliated with any political parties,'€ Johan said.

The Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) said on Tuesday said that giving authority to Yasonna to select prospective candidates for the selection team could compromise the independence of the team given Yasonna'€™s position as a politician with the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).

ICW researcher Emerson Yuntho said that Jokowi should instead give the authority to pick candidates to the State Secretariat, which is led by former Gajah Mada University (UGM) rector Pratikno.

'€œWe also call on the President to appoint Pratikno as head of the selection team given his good track record as a non-afflilted member in the Cabinet,'€ Emerson said.

The Post has learned that the State Secretary had proposed a number of figures known for their good track records as team members and chairman in February, but it remains to be seen if Jokowi has approved the proposal.

Some of the figures were former KPK commissioners Erry Riyana Hardjapamekas and Tumpak Hatorangan Panggabean, University of Indonesia (UI) sociologist Imam Prasodjo and Andalas University constitutional law professor Saldi Isra.

Other names that have been circulating are Transparency International Indonesia secretary-general Teten Masduki and law practitioner Alexander Lay, a PDI-P politician.