Indonesian Palace: Do not link President to former prosecutor's legal case

The Indonesian Presidential Palace has firmly requested that the public refrain from connecting President Joko Widodo to the legal processes involving former Junior Attorney General for Special Crimes, Febrie Adriansyah. Presidential Spokesperson Prasetyo Hadi emphasized that the handling of this case falls strictly within the purview of the law and is solely the domain of the authorized legal apparatus. He asserted that it is inappropriate to link the ongoing legal matters to the President. "We return it to the legal process, do not connect it with the President. We fully return it to the applicable legal mechanism," Prasetyo stated during an interview in Jakarta. This clarification was issued in response to assertions by Hotman Paris Hutapea, the legal counsel for Febrie Adriansyah. Hutapea had claimed that his client was "Mr. Prabowo's pride," referencing Febrie's role as the executive head of the Presidential Working Group (Satgas PKH). Based on this, Hutapea had called for a review of the legal proceedings against his client. Prasetyo also addressed the notion that high-ranking officials require presidential permission for investigation, stating this is incorrect. He clarified that the existing legal framework does not mandate presidential approval for the investigation of officials implicated in cases. "I think it goes back to the mechanism. I don't think there is a requirement for presidential permission just during the investigation stage," Prasetyo concluded.

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We return it to the legal process, do not connect it with the President. We fully return it to the applicable legal mechanism.