Jokowi Gains Global Infamy

Joko Widodo has finally gained global attention. The global investigative journalist network, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, named him one of four most corrupt presidents of 2024. OCCRP’s publication instantly ignited a firestorm in Indonesia. Heated debates erupted on social media, and graffiti bearing the phrase “Prosecute Jokowi” spread across the walls of Jakarta.

Jokowi’s supporters even circulated false claims that the OCCRP had removed his name from the list of corrupt figures. Many were misled by this content. In reality, the OCCRP did not alter the announcement and even provided additional explanations for why its judges included Jokowi on the list.

OCCRP’s social media accounts and email addresses were flooded with messages from Jokowi’s supporters, some even threatened to detonate a bomb at the OCCRP office. However, many others expressed support for the OCCRP publication, asserting that the report reflected the harsh reality of Jokowi’s presidency from 2014 to 2024.

Jokowi was reportedly disappointed by the lack of support from those that once backed him. President Prabowo Subianto did not make any comment, and the political parties supporting Jokowi did not provide a response, and there was definitely a feeling of tension after the OCCRP publication appeared.

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), which is in conflict with Jokowi, fanned the flames. They were happy because after the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) named the PDI-P Secretary-General as a corruption suspect, this seemed like a proper response to Jokowi.