Prabowo Grants Abolition and Amnesty in High-Profile Cases, Sparking Debate
President Prabowo Subianto has issued decrees granting abolition to former Minister of Trade Tom Lembong and amnesty to PDIP Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto, both embroiled in separate legal challenges. The decisions, announced on Thursday, July 31, 2025, have been met with expressions of gratitude from the recipients and their legal teams, while also prompting scrutiny from anti-corruption authorities.
Reactions from Lembong’s Legal Team
News of the abolition came as a surprise to Tom Lembong’s defense. A lawyer representing Lembong confirmed they were only recently informed of the decision. “Yes, we will also talk to Mr. Tom tomorrow, for sure,” the lawyer stated when contacted by reporters. The legal team expressed appreciation for the move, viewing it as a positive step. “Yes, we are one, thank you for the attention of the members of the DPR. Their efforts must be appreciated as an attitude for improvement, right,” the lawyer added. Lembong was facing allegations related to corruption in sugar imports.
Hasto’s Camp Claims Political Motivation
The granting of amnesty to Hasto Kristiyanto has been welcomed by his legal counsel as vindication. Hasto’s legal representative asserted that the amnesty effectively acknowledges the lack of wrongdoing on his client’s part. “Yes, of course (we welcome it). So this is the case, if it’s true like that (given amnesty), it means that the government can just assume there are no mistakes right with Mr. Hasto? Mr. Hasto doesn’t do anything,” the representative explained. They further suggested the case was politically motivated, stating, “So that if we, (if) is like that, it means what we have said so far that this case is politicized, politicized by certain people means right?” The counsel implied the KPK, Indonesia’s anti-corruption agency, was unduly influenced. “In the sense that it is really the KPK indeed if it is really like that, the KPK is an organ of the government, it is not sensitive to such problems,” they added.
KPK Response and Ongoing Legal Processes
The KPK acknowledged President Subianto’s constitutional authority to grant amnesty and abolition. KPK Chairman Setyo Budiyanto affirmed, “That is the authority of the president according to the 1945 Constitution.” However, the agency intends to review the decision. A KPK spokesperson stated, “We first learn the information. While the legal process is also still running, the process of submitting an appeal.”
The implications of these presidential decrees remain to be seen, particularly regarding the ongoing legal processes and the broader landscape of corruption enforcement in Indonesia.
