TI Integrity Awards

“The winners of this year’s awards stood up – at great personal risk to themselves and to their families - and said ‘We have had enough. Enough corruption. Enough thievery. Enough distortion of the public will.’ And in doing so, they demonstrated a profound and inspiring commitment to the future of their countries and their people, for which we honour them.”
Peter Eigen, Chairman, Transparency International

“The cycle of corruption can be broken - these activists show how”
Two courageous individuals and a pre-eminent watchdog organisation to receive TI Integrity Awards

Berlin, 8 November 2005 --- Two courageous individuals and a pre-eminent watchdog organisation will be awarded the Transparency International Integrity Awards 2005, on Friday, 11 November 2005, in Berlin, Germany.

Khairiansyah Salman (Indonesia), Abdou Latif Coulibaly (Senegal), and the Movement for Quality Government (Israel) have contributed tremendously to the fight against corruption in their countries. They were selected by the Integrity Awards Committee in recognition of their exceptional bravery in standing up to corruption.

“The individuals receiving our award are heroes who stood up in the face of corruption and succeeded in improving the lives of their countrymen. Thanks to them and to others who put their lives on the line every day, tolerance towards thieving public officials and opaque dealings are giving way to more transparent practices around the world,” TI Chairman Peter Eigen said today on announcing the awards recipients.

Mr Salman is an auditor at the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) in Indonesia who revealed grand corruption in the procurement activities of the General Election Commission and then exposed the bribery of the Commission’s members. This act angered the head of the BPK and Mr Salman was accused of violating the code of conduct. He was then openly accused in the media of entrapping the Commission member to bribe him. Mr Salman who is protected under the Corruption Eradication Commission’s witness protection scheme (KPK) is now working with the Aceh and Nias Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Agency (BRR). His cooperation with the KPK has enabled the Commission to uncover a USD 2.1 million scandal in the General Electoral Commission which involved virtually all of its members. Nominated by TI Indonesia, Mr Salman received a 2005 Integrity Award in recognition of his extraordinary courage in revealing corruption at the Indonesian Electoral Commission.

Mr Salman has now been formally accused of corruption by the Prosecutor’s Office. As a consequence, he has returned his award in order to protect the reputation of the award and of Transparency International. We appreciate his consideration in doing so as he seeks to clear his name

Mr Coulibaly, an eminent journalist who, for ten years, has devoted himself to the fight against corruption, was nominated by TI’s national chapter in Senegal, Forum Civil. Mr Coulibaly is the head of the first Senegalese private press group. He is an outspoken contributor to the fight against corruption, ensuring its place on the agenda of Senegal’s public administration and its development partners. Mr Coulibaly has brought to light the biggest financial scandals, embezzlement cases, and irregularities in public contracting. After he published a book in 2003 on the government’s poor governance practices, he suffered serious pressure and death threats, and has been the object of the political elite’s spite.

The Movement for Quality Government (MQG) was nominated by SHVIL Israel, the Israeli chapter of TI. MQG is recognised as the nation’s pre-eminent government watchdog organisation, increasing public awareness of corruption in Israel. This apolitical and independent movement keeps the pressure on the government to address social and civic issues despite its preoccupation with security issues. MQGs has helped to install principles of sound public administration and quality government by: shining the light on secret coalition agreements, and exposing financial arrangements connected to the state’s annual budget, establishing a rule requiring “Special Skills” for political appointments.

There were numerous quality nominations from around the world, and TI thanks and congratulates all the candidates for their remarkable work in the fight against corruption.

2005 Integrity Award winners' biographies

Mr. Khairiansyah Salman

Khairiansyah Salman (Indonesia) is an auditor at the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) in Indonesia. Mr Salman revealed grand corruption in the procurement activities of the General Election Commission and then exposed the bribery of one member of the General Electoral Commission. However, this act angered the head of the BPK and Mr Salman was accused of violating the code of conduct. He was then openly accused in the media of entrapping the KPU member to bribe him. Mr Salman is currently in a witness protection program with the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). Indeed, his cooperation with the KPK has enabled the Commission to uncover a USD 2.1 million scandal in the General Electoral Commission which involved virtually all of its members.

Nominated by TI Indonesia, Mr Salman received a 2005 Integrity Award in recognition of his extraordinary courage in revealing corruption at the Indonesian Electoral Commission.

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Movement for Quality Government

Movement for Quality Government (Israel) was nominated by SHVIL Israel, the Israeli chapter of TI. MQG, since its establishment, has established itself as the nation’s pre-eminent government watchdog organisation, increasing public awareness of the levels of corruption in Israel. This apolitical and independent movement keeps the pressure on the government on social and civic issues despite the ongoing preoccupation of security issues. MQG’s legal achievements have helped to install principles of sound public administration and quality government by: shining the light on secret coalition agreements, exposing financial arrangements connected to the state’s annual budget, establishing a rule requiring “Special Skills” for political appointments, developing petitions against corrupt city mayors and demanding an investigation of the Chief Police Commissioner, which brought about his resignation. These are just a few ways MQG is fulfilling its mission to ensure open, honest, accountable and effective government.

For more information, please visit their website.

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Mr. Abdou Latif Coulibaly

"What have I done to fight corruption? My weapon is journalism... I have no other means to fight corruption other than my pen. I use words to fight corruption."

"Fighting corruption means that you are helping your citizens to live in a world that if not completely egalitarian, is at least more fair, where people are rewarded on merit and effort and not because of their dishonesty."
Abdou Latif Coulibaly

Nominated by TI’s national chapter in Senegal, Forum Civil, Mr Coulibaly is an eminent journalist who, for the past ten years, has devoted himself to the fight against corruption. Mr Coulibaly is the head of the first Senegalese private press group. He is an outspoken contributor to the fight against corruption, ensuring its place on the agenda of Senegal’s public administration and its development partners. Mr Coulibaly has brought to light the biggest financial scandals, embezzlement cases, and irregularities in public contracting. After he published a book in 2003 on the government’s poor governance practices, he suffered considerable pressure (including death threats) and has been the object of the political elite’s spite.