The Minister Of Law And Human Rights Calls The Unitary State Of The Republic Of Indonesia The Reason For Giving Abolition To Tom Lembong And Amnesti To Hasto

Minister of Law and Human Rights Supratman Andi Agtas (center) /ANTARA/HO-Ministry of Law RI

JAKARTA - Minister of Law (Menkum) Supratman Andi Agtas explained the reasons for giving abolition to the defendant in the sugar import case, former Minister of Trade Tom Lembong and granting amnesty to the accused in the bribery case, Secretary General of the PDI-P Hasto Kristiyanto.

Supratman said that the granting of abolitions and amnesty to the two figures was based on certain considerations.

"Everything that proposed to the President [Prabowo Subianto] was the Minister of Law. A letter of application from the Minister of Law to the President for granting amnesty and abolition, I signed it," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Thursday, July 31.

He explained the consideration of granting abolitions and amnesty, especially in the interests of the nation and state.

The Minister of Law and Human Rights alluded to the urgency of thinking within the framework of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI).

Another consideration, he said, is the pandemic of a conducive situation and knitting brotherhood among all the nation's children and building the Indonesian nation collectively.

"Condusivity and knitting a sense of brotherhood among all the nation's children and at the same time considering building this nation together with all political elements, political forces, in Indonesia," he said.

The granting of abolitions and amnesty is also inseparable from subjective considerations.

In the context of Tom Lembong and Hasto Kristiyanto, he said they both contributed to the state.

"The person concerned also has achievements or contributes to the Republic," he said.

Supratman ensured that the granting of abolition to Tom Lembong and amnesty to Hasto Kristiyanto was purely based on a legal study.

He explained that with the granting of an abolition to Tom Lembong, all ongoing legal processes would be stopped, while Amnesty Hasto was given at the same time with amnesty to 1,116narapidana which met the requirements and verification of granting amnesty by the government.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Speaker of the DPR, Sufmi Dasco, said that the DPR approved the request for an abolition submitted by President Prabowo to Tom Lembong and amnesty 1,116 people, including Hasto Kristiyanto.

Tom Lembong was sentenced to four years and six months in prison in a corruption case of sugar importation, while Hasto Kristiyanto was sentenced to three years and six months for being proven involved in the bribery related to Harun Masiku's interim replacement.