During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic (July 2021) Indonesia experienced 50,000 daily cases. Amid this emergency, two significant conflict of interest cases attracted public attention: presidential staff Belva Devara and Taufan Putra held CEO positions in companies receiving COVID-19 assistance, and ministers Luhut Pandjaitan and Erick Thohir's affiliations with PCR testing providers. Concerns arose following the corruption convictions of Social Affairs Minister Juliari Batubara and West Bandung Regent AA Umbara for misconduct in COVID-19 procurement. 

This presentation highlights my initial research findings on how conflicts of interest can evolve into state capture and facilitate corruption during emergencies. By analyzing regulations, court decisions, and media coverage, I explore how policy decisions are distorted by unchecked interests among government decision-makers, exacerbated by pressure on civil liberties, restrictions on media freedom, and weakened accountability institutions.  The research further will propose interventions to mitigate the adverse effects and strengthen future emergency governance.