Indonesia’s Widodo slams ‘baseless’ report listing him as leading corruption enabler

“Corruption? What corruption? What’s the proof? Just prove it,” Widodo told reporters on Tuesday at his residence in Solo, Central Java. “There’s so much slander, malicious framing, and baseless accusations nowadays. That’s what’s happening.”

His comments were in response to a report by the Amsterdam-based Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), which named Widodo a finalist in its annual list of individuals who have “done the most to advance crime and corruption globally thus damaging democracy and human rights”, with toppled Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad earning its ignominious “Person of the Year” award.

Other notable figures on the list included former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina, Kenyan President William Ruto, and Indian businessman Gautam Adani.

Popularly known as Jokowi, Widodo stepped down as president in October after completing two terms spanning a decade. While he was hailed for overseeing major transport and other development projects, his tenure was marred by concerns over the weakening of the anti-corruption agency and judiciary and democratic backsliding, which his critics say have enabled Widodo to maintain his and his family’s political influence.

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Widodo blasted the OCCRP report as being politically motivated, saying: “People can use any vehicle to create such a horrible framing, whether through NGOs, political parties or mass organisations.”