Respecting Hasto’s Legal Process and the Continuity of the Retreat for Government Effectiveness
By: Rizky Adi Putra )*
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) continues to carry out its duties by enforcing the law professionally and independently. The detention of PDIP Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto is part of the legal process that has gone through various stages in accordance with applicable regulations.
There is no intervention in this process, so that all parties are expected to respect the ongoing supremacy of law. The call not to follow the regional head’s retreat by using this legal case as an excuse has no strong basis.
The Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, emphasized that the government does not have the authority to intervene in the ongoing legal process at the KPK.
As an independent law enforcement agency, the KPK has full authority to handle corruption cases without pressure from any party. Hasto also has the right to defend himself through the available legal mechanisms, including appointing a legal team to deal with his case.
Hasto was named a suspect along with PDIP advocate, Donny Tri Istiqomah, in an alleged bribery case against former KPU Commissioner Wahyu Setiawan. This case is related to the management of the interim replacement (PAW) of members of the Indonesian House of Representatives for the 2019-2024 period, especially related to Harun Masiku who is still at large. In addition to the alleged bribery, Hasto was also charged with obstruction of investigation, which made his position in this case more difficult.
KPK Chairman, Setyo Budiyanto, ensured that the decision to detain Hasto was supported by sufficient evidence. It has nothing to do with the pretrial motion that was previously filed.
The investigation team worked based on established legal procedures without any intervention from the KPK leadership or other external parties. This shows that the law continues to run as it should, without being influenced by political factors or certain interests.
Meanwhile, President Prabowo Subianto has scheduled a retreat for elected regional heads who will be inaugurated on February 20, 2025. The activity will take place at the Magelang Military Academy (Akmil) for a week.
This retreat aims to provide regional heads with supplies so that they can run the government effectively and understand the national development vision that has been designed by the government. Prabowo hopes that regional heads can attend this retreat with enthusiasm and full readiness.
The invitation not to attend the retreat by using Hasto’s legal case as an excuse is very irrelevant. The regional head retreat is a program that has been carefully designed by the government to increase leadership capacity and strengthen coordination in regional government.
Linking individual legal cases to the regional head provision program will only create a baseless narrative and has the potential to hinder efforts to improve the quality of regional leadership.
The Head of the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), Hasan Nasbi, emphasized that the implementation of the regional head retreat is not a waste of budget. On the contrary, this program is an efficiency step that has been carefully calculated.
By combining the training of the Ministry of Home Affairs and Lemhannas in one program, the costs and time required are more efficient. The legal basis for implementing the retreat has also been stated in Law Number 23 of 2014, which mandates training for elected regional heads.
The regional head retreat is not just a ceremonial agenda, but part of a strategy to strengthen regional leadership. This activity also reflects the government’s commitment to building better governance. With this training, it is hoped that regional heads can understand the direction of national policy and be able to implement it better at the local level.
Law enforcement against Hasto must continue to run in accordance with applicable provisions, and there is no reason for anyone to mix this issue with broader government policies. The public is expected to be able to view this problem objectively and not be influenced by narratives that do not have a strong basis.
In the context of the supremacy of law, no individual is immune from the judicial process. The case that ensnared Hasto is part of an effort to eradicate corruption, and every step taken by the KPK has gone through an in-depth legal study. Therefore, all parties must respect the course of this legal process without creating opinions that could disrupt the course of the justice system.
