Independence is an absolute requirement for all anticorruption agencies. However, none of the nine anticorruption agencies that have operated in Indonesia since 1959 have lasted long or performed well a lack of independence. The first anticorruption agency in Indonesia, the State Apparatus Supervisory Agency (Bapekan), was dissolved by then-president Sukarno just before it completed an investigation into alleged corruption relating to the construction of sports facilities for the 1962 Asian Games. The next antigraft body, the Corruption Eradication Team (TPK), which was formed by Sukarno’s successor, Soeharto, appeared convincing at first, but eventually stumbled when it began a probe into alleged corruption within state oil and gas company Pertamina, a major contributor to the state revenue Soeharto needed to realize his development agenda. The youngest anticorruption bod...

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