Elite capture of budget corruption in three Indonesian regions

Abstract

This paper explores corruption patterns and networks in Malang City, Malang Regency, and Batu City, Indonesia. It applies a qualitative approach to analyze secondary data regarding corruption from the Supreme Court of Indonesia, as well as data from five popular and trusted media sources. Nvivo 12 Plus was used to analyze data. The Ncapture feature was used to explore case directories and online media websites. Crosstab analysis was then used to analyze and tabulate the nodes, while group analysis was used to map corruption patterns and networks. This study finds that budget corruption in Malang City, Malang Regency, and Batu City has occurred in the planning and execution of budget policy through abuse of power, bribery, negotiations, project fees, and fundraising activities. Corruption in these three regions has involved elite groups: regional leaders, bureaucrats, entrepreneurs, and political communities. Further research should apply both mixed methods and a political network approach.