Minister Dody Reveals 'Very Serious' Internal Problems at Public Works Ministry, Exposes Various Cases Including Corruption

Minister of Public Works Dody Hanggodo revealed that the internal oversight mechanism within his ministry is currently being strengthened through a whistleblowing system where reports are directly submitted. These reports serve as a basis for the ministry to follow up on various alleged violations by officials, ranging from ethical breaches to suspected corruption. “There is a whistleblowing system. I ordered it to be checked. The one checking is, of course, the Inspectorate General,” Dody said in a podcast, quoted in Jakarta on Tuesday, 21 July 2026. He explained that not every report received is immediately processed. The Inspectorate General first conducts verification to ensure there is preliminary evidence before the case is forwarded. “If there is indeed preliminary evidence, we forward it. If there is no preliminary evidence, we do not forward it; there is no point in wasting time,” he said. Dody mentioned that reports coming through the whistleblowing mechanism are not only related to suspected budget irregularities but also concern disciplinary and ethical violations. “There are various things. Others include absenteeism and online gambling,” he revealed. Furthermore, Dody stated that one of the reports verified by the Inspectorate General even led to a suspected criminal offence and is now being handled by the High Prosecutor’s Office. He acknowledged that the internal condition of the Public Works Ministry is still facing quite serious problems. Because of this, he admitted to frequently replacing officials as part of the organisational reform. “Very serious, very, very serious. That is why I then have to frequently change people,” Dody said. Nevertheless, he stressed that his main focus is not on individuals but on strengthening the Public Works Ministry institution so that it has better governance. “I do not really care about individuals at the Public Works Ministry. I care about the Public Works Ministry itself. I want this ministry to be more robust, to shine brighter from year to year,” Dody asserted. Based on data from the DKI Jakarta High Prosecutor’s Office, there is a list of officials and civil servants from the Public Works Ministry who have been named suspects throughout 2024 to July 2026. Among them is DP, who held the position of Director General of Water Resources at the Directorate General of Water Resources at the time of the case.