Former ASDP President Director Ira Puspadewi Corruption Defendant Gets Rehabilitation, MA: Presidential Special Rights

JAKARTA - The Supreme Court (MA) stated that the policy of granting rehabilitation to three defendants in the corruption case of business cooperation and the acquisition of PT Jembatan Nusantara by PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry (Persero) was the President's privilege.

"Rehabilitation is a privilege given to the President by the Constitution, namely Article 14 paragraph (1)," said spokesman for the Supreme Court (MA) Yanto at a press conference at the Supreme Court Media Center, Jakarta, Wednesday, quoted by Antara.

The article in question by Yanto reads "The President gives clemency and rehabilitation by taking into account the considerations of the Supreme Court".

According to him, the rehabilitation was given with consideration for greater interests.

"Of course, with bigger considerations, for bigger interests. Perhaps greater interests, national interests. That is a privilege given to the president by our constitution," he said.

Meanwhile, when asked for an explanation regarding the consideration of the Supreme Court in granting rehabilitation to the defendants in the ASDP case, Yanto did not provide more detailed information.

"I haven't read the considerations yet, it's usually the one who is appointed, yes, appointed by Supreme Court judge A, Supreme Court judge B. Usually appointed. Incidentally, I'm not appointed, so if you ask what the contents are like, yes, you have to be asked who made them," he said.

Previously, President Prabowo Subianto had signed a rehabilitation letter for three defendants in the alleged corruption case of Business Cooperation (KSU) and the acquisition of PT Jembatan Nusantara (JN) by PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry in 2019-2022.

The decision was conveyed by the Deputy Speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, in a press statement with the Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi and Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya at the Presidential Office, Jakarta, Tuesday, November 25.

"From the results of communication with the government, thank God there are today, the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Mr. Prabowo Subianto has signed a letter of rehabilitation for the three names," he said.

He said the President had observed a series of communications between the DPR and the government regarding the dynamics of the case that had emerged since July 2024.

Since the ASDP case began, explained Dasco, the DPR has received various complaints and aspirations.

Three defendants have been sentenced to prison in the case, namely Ira Puspadewi sentenced to 4 years and 6 months in prison, while Yusuf Hadi and Harry Muhammad were sentenced to 4 years in prison each.

The defendants were also sentenced to a fine, namely Rp. 500 million, subsidiary to three months in prison for Ira, and Rp. 250 million each, subsidiary to three months in prison for Yusuf and Harry.

The panel of judges at the Corruption Court at the Central Jakarta District Court stated that the three were proven to have committed criminal acts of corruption together so that they caused state financial losses of Rp1.25 trillion.

The three were declared to have violated Article 3 in conjunction with Article 18 of Law Number 31 of 1999 concerning the Eradication of Criminal Acts of Corruption as amended and supplemented by Law Number 20 of 2001 jo. Article 55 paragraph (1) 1st of the Criminal Code.

Among the panel of judges consisting of three people, there was one judge who expressed a dissenting opinion, namely the presiding judge Sunoto. According to him, the actions of the three defendants were not criminal acts of corruption, but business decisions.