Hasto's Plea: New Facts Fabricated, Key Witness Intimidated in Another Legal Case

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – The Secretary-General of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, Hasto Kristiyanto, accused the legal case against him of being a legal fabrication laden with political interests. He also denied the prosecutor's allegations that he had conspired to commit corruption and obstruct the investigation into the bribery case concerning the appointment of Harun Masiku as a member of the DPR for the 2019-2024 period.

This was conveyed by Hasto in his personal plea during the continuation of the case regarding the alleged bribery and obstruction of the investigation of Harun Masiku at the Jakarta Corruption Court, Thursday (10/7/2025). The personal plea read by Hasto was 105 pages long and titled "Challenging Justice." Meanwhile, the plea from his legal advisory team was 3,550 pages long. The hearing was presided over by Chief Judge Rios Rahmanto.

In this case, Hasto is facing a demand for 7 years in prison and a fine of Rp 600 million, with a subsidiary of 6 months in detention. The prosecutor believes that Hasto has violated Article 21 and Article 5 Paragraph 1 Letter a of Law Number 31 of 1999 concerning the Eradication of Corruption Crimes.

Hasto began his defense by claiming that the case against him was a re-enactment of cases that had already had permanent legal force (inkracht), namely decisions number 18/PID.SUS-TPK/2020/PN.JKT.PST and decision number 28/PID.SUS-TPK/2020/PN.JKT.PST. The defendants in the two decisions, namely Saeful Bahri, Wahyu Setiawan, and Agustiani Tio Fridelina, have also served their sentences.

"That's why legal engineering was carried out, which seemed to find new facts through a recycling process of issues that were already in decided," said Hasto.

Hasto accused that the new facts that emerged were fabricated, thus differing from the evidence presented in the verdict that has already become final. One of the new facts highlighted by Hasto was the statement from Wahyu Setiawan, which indicated that Saeful Bahri and Donny Tri Istiqomah admitted that the bribe money originated from Hasto.

According to Hasto, this statement was never present in the trial facts in 2020 and has been refuted by other witnesses. Hasto suspects that this new testimony emerged after Wahyu Setiawan was pressured with threats of a Money Laundering case by the KPK in December 2023.

Another new fact mentioned by Hasto is that the bailout funds for the bribe originated from him. This statement, according to Hasto, cannot be proven true. Hasto alleged that this information emerged after Saeful Bahri was pressured regarding the discovery of two firearms at the home of his ex-wife.

Hasto also denied the authenticity of the main evidence in the form of a WhatsApp conversation presented by the prosecutor during the trial, namely the "universal WhatsApp" or "super magical WhatsApp." According to him, there are inconsistencies in the evidence, including the spelling of the name Saeful Bahri and the use of the address "Secretary General," which he deemed unusual in everyday communication.

Therefore, Hasto believes that the pattern observed from the key witnesses indicates intimidation regarding other legal issues, leading them to provide new statements that differ from the facts presented in the 2020 trial to incriminate him.

In his plea, Hasto stated that the legal process he is experiencing is closely related to his party's critical stance, including in terms of maintaining party discipline through the expulsion of party cadres, namely against the 7th President Joko Widodo, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, and Bobby Nasution along with 24 other party members in December 2024.

He also linked the legal pressures he faces to his rejection of the presence of the Israeli national football team at the U-21 World Cup and his strong criticism of the Constitutional Court Decision Number 90/2023. The decision in question paves the way for Gibran Rakabuming Raka to run in the 2024 Presidential Election and be elected.

"When pressure failed to dampen critical attitudes, at the end of December 2023, Wahyu Setiawan's house was searched," he said.

In his plea, Hasto denied having instructed Harun Masiku to submerge his mobile phone through witness Nurhasan. He also refuted ever having ordered his staff member, Kusnadi, to sink his communication device. According to him, the intent of the conversation stating "just submerge that" was related to clothing for a ritual, not a mobile phone.

Hasto also denied providing bridging funds or operational funds in the case of Harun Masiku. He believes that all the bribery funds originated from Harun himself, in accordance with the facts revealed in the court's decision in 2020. The initiative for the bribery was purely carried out by Saeful Bahri together with Donny Tri Istiqomah without his knowledge and consent.

He also urged the KPK to promptly arrest Harun Masiku. The arrest of Harun Masiku is necessary to clarify the substance of the bribery case. Hasto also questioned why Harun Masiku has not yet been apprehended by the KPK. In fact, the coordinates of Harun's location are said to be already known by the KPK.

He accused Harun Masiku of not being caught because he was obstructing him, but because Harun did not want to be arrested by the Corruption Eradication Committee (KPK).

"Please consider, Your Honor, that in this trial, the sworn testimony of Arief Budi Rahardjo stated that the coordinates of Harun Masiku were already known to the KPK. The question is, why has he not been arrested?" said Hasto.

Hasto also requested the panel of judges to acquit him of all charges and to restore his good name as well as his dignity and honor. "To acquit the defendant of all charges or at the very least declare him free from all claims," said Hasto.

On Wednesday (9/7/2025), former Minister of Trade Thomas Trikasih Lembong, also known as Tom Lembong, who is a defendant in the corruption case regarding sugar imports at the Ministry of Trade for the years 2015-2016, also presented his personal plea before the Panel of Judges at the Jakarta Corruption Court.

In a 39-page defense note read by Tom Lembong, he outlined a series of irregularities in the legal process from the investigation stage to the trial. He even linked his legal case to his political choices in 2023. In that year, Tom Lembong supported Anies Baswedan as a presidential candidate in the 2024 presidential election.

"It is widely known among political elites that throughout 2023, I have done my utmost to assist in every effort for Mr. Anies Baswedan to be nominated as a Presidential Candidate," said Tom Lembong.

According to Tom Lembong, the issuance of the Investigation Warrant (Sprindik) by the Attorney General's Office on October 3, 2023, is not a coincidence. This is because the timing of the issuance of the Sprindik coincided with his official joining of Anies Baswedan's campaign team, which at that time was in opposition to the authorities.

"The timing of the issuance of this Sprindik is not a coincidence. The signal from the authorities is very clear; I join the opposition, and thus I am threatened with prosecution," he said.

Tom Lembong also stated that the public prosecutor has arbitrarily altered the substance of the charges. According to Tom, when he was arrested and detained on October 29, 2024, the prosecutor claimed that his crime was formulating policies that harmed the state by providing benefits to private sugar industries that should have belonged to state-owned enterprises.

However, about four months later, Tom Lembong continued, during the indictment reading session in March 2025, the charges changed completely. Tom was then accused of his policy causing PT Perusahaan Perdagangan Indonesia (PPI) to pay an inflated price, resulting in state losses because the import of raw materials or raw sugar was subject to a lower tariff compared to importing white sugar.

According to Tom, the alleged state losses have changed from initially around Rp 400 billion to Rp 578 billion. Tom accused the Attorney General's Office of altering the basis for calculating the state losses.

In his personal plea, Tom Lembong assessed that there were many irregularities and oddities in his case. He felt that he had been targeted from the beginning to be made a suspect in the sugar importation case. Tom Lembong also stated that there were no funds that he benefited from in this activity.

"What is going on with the cooperatives of the TNI/Polri, the Sugar Cane Farmers Association, and PT Adikarya Gemilang, that their participation in the import of raw sugar for processing into white sugar is not questioned at all? Certainly, the answer is that all parties are innocent. But Mr. Charles Sitorus is targeted, the nine private sugar industries are targeted, and I am targeted," said Tom.

In this case, Tom Lembong is sentenced to 7 years in prison and a fine of Rp 750 million, with a subsidiary of 6 months' imprisonment. The prosecutor is convinced that Tom Lembong is guilty of violating Article 2 paragraph (1) in conjunction with Article 18 of the Anti-Corruption Law in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph (1) number 1 of the Criminal Code.