Corruption Watch Research Articles

Deliberation on continuous spread of corruption in South Africa

Corruption is widely spread in South Africa and is against the norms of honestly, morals, values, ethics, and good governance. The reasons of corruption may be individual (personal greed for luxury, power, authority), organisational (inadequate monitoring and evaluation, reporting processes), legislative (no compliance), strategic (lack of ethical culture), to state a few. The study is aimed to find answers to the following guiding research question, such as: what is the extent of corruption in South Africa? The qualitative study utilised secondary sources through the literature review of articles and document review of annual/official reports to gather relevant information. The information was further assessed using document analysis. The findings show that corruption is spreading at every level of government, and even public and private sectors are getting exposed to cases of misconduct. The country has established various legislative frameworks to combat corruption. The objectives of anti-corruption frameworks are operationalised through the establishment of anti-corruption organistaions. Some of them are Corruption Watch; National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council; Financial Intelligence Centre; Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse; and National Anti-Corruption Hotline. The findings show that although there are anti-corruption measures in place, the inadequate compliance may create implementation gaps, hence corruption keeps on spreading at political level, bureaucratic offices, and even in municipalities. The study suggests policy measures to minimise the scope and spread of corruption.

Pemberantasan Kejahatan Perbankan Antar Negara Yang Belum Melakukan Perjanjian Ekstradisi (Studi Kasus Maria Pauline Lumowa)

Introduction: There are many phenomena of corruption where the perpetrators flee abroad, making it difficult to eradicate corruption. Based on data from Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) there are more than 30 fugitives for corruption who have fled abroad and resulted in state losses of around IDR 53 trillion. Indonesia as a country prone to corruption requires international cooperation in dealing with cross-border crimes such as economic crimes in the banking sector.Purposes of the Research: This paper aims to analyze and find out the extradition mechanism in banking crimes for countries that have not entered into an extradition treaty. As well as to analyze and find out legal remedies to return criminal assets to the state according to law return of criminal assets to the state according to international law.Methods of the Research: The research method in this writing is a qualitative analysis method, the type of research is normative research, the research approach used is the statutory approach, the case approach, and the concept approach. The procedure for collecting legal materials uses primary legal materials, secondary legal materials and tertiary legal materials.Results of the Research: The results of the study show that the mechanism or procedure for extradition requests between countries that have not entered into an extradition agreement is the same as the mechanism or procedure for extradition requests with extradition agreements, while legal remedies for returning assets resulting from criminal acts to countries according to international law there are two ways of resolution, namely, first through mutual legal assistance and secondly based on good relations between the two countries this has been regulated in Article 51 and Article 58 of UNCAC 2003

Indonesian Governors’ Gender, Age, Education Level, Educational Background, Tenure and Their Tendency of Conducting Fraud

This study aims to determine the effect of governor characteristics on the occurrence of fraudulent activities in the Provincial Government in Indonesia. Gender, age, education level, education background and tenure are used as proxies for the demographic characteristics of governors. Data were collected from the Corruption Eradication Commission, the Supreme Audit Board and Indonesian Corruption Watch and analyzed using panel data regression. The results of this study indicate that the governors with accounting background are more likely not to be involved in fraud, while tenure has no effect on fraud. An interesting finding was obtained that education level and age have a negative effect on fraud. Fraud is higher when the governor is younger and has a lower level of education. This has implications for policy makers in Indonesia in preventing fraud by making regulations that take into account the demographic characteristics of candidates for governor in Indonesia. The results also show that the demographic characteristics of the Governor play an important role in preventing fraud.

PENGELOLAAN DANA DESA BEBAS FRAUD: PENDEKATAN EFEKTIF DI KECAMATAN TIDORE UTARA

Fraud occurs in several sectors, including the village sector, such as fraud in the management of village funds. Village funds that were initially to improve independent villages were not appropriately managed; the management of village funds is synonymous with abuse in management; this is evidenced by the statement "Village Fund Outlook 2018" issued by Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) in the village fund book published by the Ministry of Finance. As a result of ICW monitoring, in 2015–2017, cases of abuse in villages increased. In 2015, it reached 17 cases and increased to 41 cases in 2016. A more than twofold spike then occurred in 2017 with 96 cases. A total of 154 fraud cases, such as corruption and misuse of assets, were found. This study was conducted with the aim of examining the influence of village apparatus competence, internal control system, accountability, and morality on fraud prevention efforts in village fund management in North Tidore District, Tidore Islands City. The respondents used were 56 people consisting of village heads, village secretaries, heads of financial affairs, heads of planning affairs, staff of the head of planning affairs, heads of service sections, staff of the head of service sections, heads of government sections, staff of the head of government sections, technical implementers, heads of hamlets, heads of RWs and heads of RT. The data analysis technique used is multiple linear regression analysis. The results showed that the competence of village apparatus and internal control system has a positive and significant effect on fraud prevention. Conversely, morality and accountability have no impact on preventing fraud in village funds.

The Financial Health Analysis and Income Diversification Case Study on Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW)

NGOs are agents of change that were formed with the aim of meeting social development needs that have not been able to be carried out or fulfilled by the government as state administrator. To maintain their existence, NGOs are required to maintain healthy financial conditions and diversified funding to ensure the survival of the organization so that it can provide a sustainable impact for its beneficiaries. Therefore, measuring NGO financial performance is very important. The aim of this research is to determine the financial performance and funding diversification of the NGO Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW). The method used in this research is qualitative descriptive using financial ratio analysis and funding diversification on secondary data obtained from the website https://antikorup.org, in the form of financial reports for 2017-2021. The financial ratios calculated to measure ICW's financial performance use the ratio measurement method developed by Ritchie and Kolodinsky (2003), as well as funding diversification which will be measured using the Hirschman Herfindahl Index (HHI). The research results show that the financial health of ICW is in the good category with diversified income, it is known that the level of dependency on main donors is small. This has a positive impact on the sustainability of ICW to be able to continue to advocate for strengthening the people's bargaining position to control the state and participate in decisions to realize democratic governance, free from corruption, with economic, social and gender justice.

Penerapan PERMA Nomor 1 Tahun 2020 Dalam Perkara Tindak Pidana Korupsi

Based on data from Indonesia Corruption Watch, in the last 4 years corruption cases related to state’s financial losses are the most committed and increase significantly, oftentimes have disparities in punishment. To overcome this, PERMA No. 1 of 2020 concerning Article 2 and Article 3 of the Corruption Eradication Law was issued. The interesting thing is even though there is a guideline for sentencing related offenses, there are still court decisions that are not in accordance with the provisions of PERMA. One of them is Decision No. 33/Pid.Sus/TPK/2020/PN.Pdg. The issues that are tried to be discussed are: 1) How is the application of PERMA No. 1 of 2020 in Decision No. 33/Pid.Sus/TPK/2020/PN.Pdg; and 2) What is the basis for the judge's consideration in sentencing the defendant in Decision No. 33/Pid.Sus/TPK/2020/PN.Pdg. This research uses normative juridical methods through case approach and statue approach. The results show that: 1) The application of PERMA No. 1 of 2020 in Decision No. 33/Pid.Sus/TPK/2020/PN.Pdg, has not been perfectly applied by the panel of judges. In sentencing, the judge is less thorough so that the crime imposed on the defendant is lower than the level of guilt; and 2) The basis for the judge's consideration in sentencing the defendant in Decision No. 33/Pid.Sus/TPK/2020/PN.Pdg, considers the role of the defendant who, although as the driving force or mastermind of this crime, the defendant will not be able to carry it out if there is no cooperation with the authorized person. Therefore, the panel of judges imposed a lower sentence than the Prosecutor’s demand.

AKUNTABILITAS LAYANAN MASYARAKAT BERBASIS MEDIA DESA GUNA PENCEGAHAN KORUPSI

Village, based on the general definition, is the agglomeration of settlements in rural areas (rural). Indonesia places villages in a government administrative area, under sub-districts, and is led by a village head. Law Number 22 Year 1999; Village is a legal community unit that has the authority to regulate and manage the interests of the local community based on local origins and customs. Village financing comes from the State Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBN) transferred through the district / city Regional Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBD), and is called the Village Fund. Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) recorded 46 cases of corruption in the village budget in 2019. After making observations, also Focus Group Discussions (FGD), interviews with village heads, listening to community information, it is deemed necessary to implement extension activities. For this reason, Community Service activities by a team of lecturers at the University of East Indonesia (UIT) in the hope that the village will be free from corruption

Blockchain Tech System: Optimization of the Use and Audit of Village Funds

The central government has moved to provide capital support in the form of village funds to every administrative area in Indonesia. According to ICW (2022), the entire budget allotted for village funding in 2022 will be IDR 68 trillion. According to Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) monitoring data from 2015 to 2022, there were 155 instances of village fund corruption, which caused state losses totaling IDR 381,947,508,605 (ICW, 2022). Village monies were deposited in regional accounts as a result of issues with village fund realization reports. By ensuring that village funds have a reporting system that adheres to the value for money standards, village funds will be spent as efficiently as possible. Qualitative descriptive writing is the style used. The blockchain that is being used has a transaction database as well as superior features like smart contracts and full information sharing between peers and outside, which can make it simpler for auditors to examine village money. In addition, this technology provides superior data distribution and security capabilities. Budget realization reports are made immediately by an accounting information system using data from a transaction database. The ideal usage and management of local funds are encouraged by this technology, it is hoped.

Corruption in Schools, What's the Matter ???

Fraud can be committed by anyone because the main factor of fraud is human. A study conducted by Indonesia Corruption Watch on the trend of prosecution of corruption cases shows that the education sector is one of the sectors that is consistently the most corrupted sector. The large budget given to the education sector is one of the potential corruptions for irresponsible parties, even in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, corruption in the education sector has not stopped. This research is a literature review where researchers review literature related to this research. The results of this study are expected to provide benefits for related parties in preventing fraud in the world of education. Fraud prevention can be carried out by all parties with the aim of rejecting or understanding everything that can harm the company. In developing an effective fraud prevention strategy, organizations must pay attention to several things, including: 1) internal and external environmental conditions, 2) the complexity of business activities, 3) the potential, types and risks of fraud, 4) the adequacy of the resources needed.

Analysis of Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning Strategies in Fraud Risk and Their Impact on Organizational Potential Consequences in Achieving Organizational Goals

Data compiled by Indonesian Corruption Watch shows that during 2016, there were 482 corruption cases with a total state loss of IDR 1.47 trillion (Indonesian Corruption Watch 2017). International Transparency in a 2016 survey showed Indonesia ranked 90th out of 176 countries measured by the level of corruption with a score of 37 (Transparency International 2016). Reform in the field of state finances has been implemented through a package of laws consisting of UUD No. 17 of 2003 concerning State Finance, UUD no. 1 of 2004 concerning the State Treasury and UUD no. 15 of 2004 concerning Examination of State Financial Management and Responsibility. The implementation of the Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning (STP) strategy can be used as a "lubricant" and an exit strategy in mitigating and preventing the occurrence of fraud risk. more optimal.

Rights to free from corruption: A vernacular mobilization of anti-corruption movement in Indonesia

This study examines how the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Indonesia built anti-corruption movements despite the constraining sociopolitical context in Indonesia. Applying collective action framework, this research argues that NGOs translate, transform, and circulate the meaning of anti-corruption activism set in the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) into an appropriate environment. The translation results in rights consciousness through redefining the meaning of corruption, victimization of corruption, mainstreaming anti-corruption techniques, circling the human rights frame through capacity-building training, and multiplying the task of vernacularization to local NGOs. This research selected Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) as a case study, examined their article of association, annual report, program report, and their educational campaign. Interview conducted with participants of their educational program. The data analyzed using discourse analysis to see how ICW problematizes and prognose corruption, and identifying the key framing of their activity. The study contributes to the scholarship of Indonesian social movements that were paying more attention to the efficacy and evaluation of NGOs movement rather than the process of how they built the movement. This study also argues that in the absence of leftist politics, human rights discourse is applicable to articulate justice demands and mobilize citizens for liberal reforms.

Analysis of Fraud Actions In Village Financial Management: Case Study of Maikor Village, North South Aru District, Aru Islands Regency

This study aims to analyze acts of fraud, planning and accountability in village finances in Maikor Village, North South Aru District, Aru Islands Regency. Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) noted in the first semester of 2021 that the Village Government was the biggest perpetrator of corruption cases in Indonesia because the Anti-Corruption Behavior Index (IPAK) in Indonesia was 3.88 while the Anti-Corruption Behavior Index in rural areas reached 3.83. in 2021 so that village financial management has been regulated in Ministerial Regulation No. 37 of 2007 concerning Guidelines for Village Financial Management. This type of research is a descriptive qualitative research with a purposive sampling approach. The results in this study indicate that there are fraudulent acts that occur in village finances carried out by the village government in the 2010-2015 period with acts of misappropriation of funds and corruption of village finances. Thus, better prevention and inspection of village financial reports is needed so that fraud does not occur in village finances

Law Enforcement of the Criminal Action of Corruption in the Time of the Pandemic Covid-19

This research is a legal research that examines the law enforcement of criminal acts of corruption during the COVID -19 pandemic . This study aims to analyze the model of law enforcement against corruption which is one type of extraordinary crime ( extraordinary crime ). Corruption is a very serious problem, because it can endanger the stability and security of the State, endanger social and economic development, politics, and can even damage democratic values and national morality. Law enforcement was highlighted during the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (covid-19) pandemic, where the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a global pandemic . President Joko Widodo also declared the spread of the deadly epidemic a national disaster . This emergency status comes into effect as of April 13, 2020. The determination of the spread of this virus as a disaster is stated in Presidential Decree (Kepres) No. 12 of 2020 concerning Determination of Non-Natural Disasters for the Spread of Corona Virus Disease 2019 Covid-19 . This type of research is a normative legal research ( doctrinal ), with several approaches used, among others; the statute approach, both conceptual approaches, and the data analysis method used in this paper is the deductive analysis method. Research result This refers to law enforcement of corruption in Indonesia The ciovid-19 pandemic period is still quite bad, and it can be seen from the increasing percentage of state losses and the increasing number of cases of cases that are increasing from previous years. Report from Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW). said that there was no openness information from APH, especially the police and the prosecutor's office regarding the handling of corruption.

Implementing The Confiscation Of Confiscated Objects For Criminal Acts Of Corruption That Have Impaired Value

This research discuss the implementation of confiscating criminal acts of corruption that have decreased in value. The author raised this matter because, based on data released by Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW), there were 533 (five hundred and thirty-three) cases throughout 2021. Based on this data, it was found that the total potential state losses incurred reached Rp 29.4 trillion. In contrast to the magnitude of the losses incurred, on the other hand, based on the results recorded by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) that the return of state losses was only Rp 2.6 trillion, which consisted of payment of fines, compensation for the spoils, and Rp 3 billion in the form of payment of status determination and use of grant funds. From the existing problems, the author examines how to manage the confiscated objects of corruption so as not to experience a decrease in value. This research uses a normative juridical writing method; namely, the law is conceptualized as what is written in legislation, or the law is seen as a gift or norm, which is a benchmark for human behavior considered appropriate and supported by data found on the internet. After researching the problems discussed in this journal, this can be overcome by holding an auction in advance of confiscated objects that will experience a decline in value so that the recovery of state financial losses can take place optimally, which needs to be also supported by a good work ethic from law enforcement officials. The law, namely by taking good care of confiscated objects so that they do not experience a decline in value and integrated data collection in order for the confiscated objects to remain safe and unrewded or not recorded.

Calculation of State Financial Losses as Evidence Against Corruption Crimes

States losses can occur due to violations of law or negligence of state officials or civil servants. The high number of state losses will have a negative impact on the national economy, for this reason, efforts to recover from state losses are very necessary in saving the country's economy. State Losses Handled by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) 2015-2020. Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) recorded the value of state losses due to corruption handled by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) of Rp. 805 billion in 2020. This figure decreased by 87% from the previous year of Rp. 6.2 trillion. In Indonesia, the existence of state financial losses or the state's economy is an element of corruption offenses as regulated in Articles 2 and 3 of Law Number 31 of 1999 in conjunction with Law Number 20 of 2001 concerning the Eradication of Criminal Acts of Corruption (UU Tipikor). In accordance with Article 10 of Law Number 15 of 2006 concerning the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK Law) it is stated that the one who assesses or determines the existence of state losses is the State Audit Board (BPK). The purpose of this research is to find the right steps in mandating the government to maintain the balance of state finances as an effort to realize a transparent and responsible gove rnment system. This research uses descriptive analytical research methods, The approach used is normative and legal. The approach used in this study is the legal approach.

Strengthening Good Governance as an Entry Point for Eradicating Corruption During the Covid-19 Pandemic

In 2015, the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) Report ranked Indonesia 107th out of 180 countries surveyed, and Transparency.org ranked Indonesia 89th out of 180 countries surveyed. Many studies have been conducted on corruption in Indonesia, but few articles have linked corruption to good governance for development in the country. Corruption can be addressed by strengthening good governance as a starting point for eradicating corruption, followed by anticorruption policy reform. The goal of this research was to look at corruption cases in Indonesia through the lens of good governance. This study was a policy-oriented study using a literature search of journal articles on corruption, with data from a variety of sources including the Indonesia Corruption Watch, Corruption Eradication Corruption (KPK), World Bank, and Transparency International. Focus group discussions were also conducted. The Spradley model was used in the data analysis through domain analysis, componential analysis, and theme analysis. The outcomes demonstrated that corruption is a unique crime that is difficult to eradicate. As a result, since good governance is not widely practiced in Indonesia, it must be emphasized. Strengthening good governance is recommended as a key to eradicating corruption in Indonesia, such as by strengthening law enforcement with the law structure as an example.
 Keywords: corruption, policy, good governance, policy reform

Masalah Akuntabilitas Publik Pada Organisasi Pemerintah (Studi pada Organisasi Perangkat Daerah Pemerintah Kota Tegal)

The phenomenon that occurs in the public sector in Indonesia is the strengthening of demands for accountability in government organizations, both central and regional. According to Indonesia Corruption Watch, the City of Tegal is ranked first in Central Java in cases of accounting fraud that have caused losses to state finances. This shows the problem of public accountability in the City Government of Tegal. This study aims to obtain empirical evidence regarding the influence of internal control systems, organizational commitment, organizational culture, budgetary participation and management accounting information systems on public accountability. The study was conducted on 19 OPDs in Tegal City. The data analysis technique used is multiple linear regression. The results showed that the internal control system, organizational culture and budgetary participation had a positive effect on public accountability. Meanwhile, organizational commitment and management accounting information system have no effect on public accountability. The contribution of this study provides empirical evidence that the internal control system, organizational culture and budgetary participation are factors that influence public accountability.

Corruption Watch Policy and The Risks of Increased Corruption During the Pandemic

The government is trying to make policies to control corruption and trying to reduce the Risk of Increasing Corruption During the Pandemic through various efforts, one of which is using the GOL application. Innovaton breakthrough in efforts to eradicate corruption in Indonesia. Building a smart community culture and anti-corruption is one of the big challenges for the Indonesian state. Building character by instilling some values for anti-corruption education is one positive way that needs to be done. Efforts are made for the public to find out information, so that findings of corruption will be processed faster and cause the public to start to be careful and try to avoid corruption and to be actively involved in monitoring and efforts to prevent corruption during pandemic

Unrest and Violence: 2019

The year 2019 was characterised by gang and taxi violence. In the reporting period, the South African Police Services published the 2018 crime statistics, revealing an alarming increase in violent crimes. The annual report of the Inspectorate Judge of Correctional Services revealed that prisons remain overcrowded. Section 12(1)(a) of the Gatherings Act 205 of 1993 was declared unconstitutional. Regulations to assist dependents of victims of apartheid in relation to basic and higher education, were amended. Police corruption was addressed and neighbourhood watches in the Western Cape were accredited. In this article, two cases that dealt with parole are discussed regarding the calculation of the date of parole, as well as a court’s order regarding the minimum sentence that a prisoner has to serve, before he or she can apply for parole. A decision of the Western Cape High Court is discussed in relation to the treatment of transgender prisoners. The independence of the Judicial Inspectorate of Correctional Services in relation to the Sonke case is dealt with. A Bill introduced a new military court structure, as well as described the role of the military police. A private member Draft General Intelligence Law Amendment Bill, 2019, now provides for more oversight of the intelligence services regarding finances. The note also refers to the destruction of firearms, the issuing of licences for firearms with new components, as well as the court’s decision in Corruption Watch v Arms Procurement, where the court overturned the Commission of Inquiry’s report regarding controversial arms procurement of 1997–1999. Gender-based violence has still not been addressed adequately, despite promises to strengthen legislation in this regard. In relation to terrorism, new financial regulations are being put in place.

Manajemen Pengeluaran Daerah di Indonesia: Penanganan Krisis Kesehatan dan Ekonomi Selama Pandemi COVID-19

This study aimed to analyze local expenditure management strategies in Indonesia to recover the health and economy during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study used a qualitative approach with qualitative data collection methods through literature studies including books, journal articles, news, reports, and regulation. The results showed that local governments in Indonesia have refocused and reallocated Local Revenue and Expenditure Budgets as a local expenditure management strategy to handle the health and economic crisis. However, the implementation of the refocusing and reallocation policy faced problems such as limited fiscal space and was not being supported by an effective control, monitoring, and evaluation system. More findings explain that all local governments in Indonesia do have not a large fiscal capacity, so there are no options to make expansionary fiscal policies. In the implementing policy process, the Audit Board of the Republic of Indonesia has warned that there are risks of mismanagement, corruption, and state budget fraud during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, Indonesia Corruption Watch found that there are still weaknesses in the management of regional expenditures, especially in the process of procuring goods/services that are vulnerable to corruption. Therefore, the researcher suggested that local governments should have been optimizing Transfer to Local and Village Funds, as well as strengthening the role of external and internal supervisory agencies to carry out a system of controlling, monitoring, and evaluating local finance.