Hasto Kristiyanto's Verdict on Alleged Corruption and Obstruction of Investigation: Here's How the Case Progressed

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – The Corruption Court at the Central Jakarta District Court is scheduled to hold a hearing with the agenda of reading the verdict for the defendant Hasto Kristiyanto on Friday (25/7/2025). This hearing will mark the final chapter in the series of legal proceedings that have ensnared the Secretary-General of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle in the case of alleged obstruction of investigation to protect the fugitive Harun Masiku.

According to the schedule, the reading of the verdict will begin at around 14:00. The panel of judges will decide whether Hasto is proven legally and convincingly guilty of committing corruption as charged by the public prosecutor from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

"The decision will be made on Friday, July 25, 2025. And because it is Friday, to avoid any gap due to the Friday prayers, we will conduct it after the Friday prayers," said Chief Judge Rios Rahmanto at the Corruption Court of the Central Jakarta District Court, Friday (18/7/2025).

To understand the context of the verdict that will be read today, here is a chronology of the Hasto Kristiyanto case since its inception:

This case is a result of the development of a hand-catching operation (OTT) by the KPK on January 8, 2020, targeting former KPU Commissioner Wahyu Setiawan. Wahyu is suspected of receiving bribes to facilitate Harun Masiku's appointment as a member of the DPR to replace Nazarudin Kiemas, who has passed away.

In the development of the case, the KPK has named four suspects, namely Wahyu Setiawan (the recipient of the bribe), Agustiani Tio Fridelina (former member of the Bawaslu, intermediary), Saeful Bahri (staff of PDI-P, the briber), and Harun Masiku (the briber). However, Harun Masiku evaded capture and his whereabouts remain a mystery to this day. Since January 17, 2020, he has officially been designated as a fugitive and has been placed on the wanted list.

The decision will be made on Friday, July 25, 2025. And because it is Friday, in order to avoid any gap due to the Friday prayers, we will conduct it after the Friday prayer.

The name Hasto Kristiyanto has actually been mentioned since the beginning of the trial in the case in 2020. In the indictment against Saeful Bahri, the prosecutor stated that Hasto approved an operational fund of Rp 850 million to manage the appointment of Harun Masiku at the General Election Commission.

Several witnesses in the trial also mentioned Hasto's name. Nevertheless, for years, Hasto has consistently denied his involvement. He asserted that he has never been involved in such bribery practices and stated that the matter of interim replacement (PAW) is a technical domain of the party.

A wind of change began to blow when Nawawi Pomolango took office as the Acting Chairman of the KPK at the end of 2023. The KPK appeared more aggressive in tracing back the footsteps of Harun Masiku.

The peak was the summoning of Hasto Kristiyanto as a witness in June 2024. This examination became the main focus due to Hasto's status as the Secretary General of the ruling political party.

The moment of the examination intensified when investigators seized the phone and notebook belonging to Hasto from his aide, Kusnadi. The seizure was said to have occurred inappropriately and added to the heated drama of the examination.

After a series of intensive investigations, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) officially named Hasto Kristiyanto a suspect in late December 2024. He was not charged with bribery, but with alleged obstruction of justice, as stipulated in Article 21 of the Corruption Eradication Law. Hasto is suspected of deliberately concealing information and protecting Harun Masiku's whereabouts.

In conjunction with this, Hasto has also been designated as a suspect in the bribery case concerning the management of DPR members for the 2019-2024 period. He is alleged to have contributed money and coordinated the process of delivering bribes through his associates, Saeful Bahri and Donny Tri Istiqomah. In his status as a suspect, Hasto was also questioned on January 13, 2025, for four hours.

At the end of December 2025, Hasto Kristiyanto was officially detained by the KPK. Hasto did not immediately accept the designation and detention of himself as a suspect. He filed a pretrial motion to the South Jakarta District Court.

Hasto pursued legal action by filing a pretrial lawsuit at the South Jakarta District Court in February to challenge his suspect status. The legal representatives argued that the determination of his suspect status was political, premature, and not based on sufficient evidence. They requested the judge to annul the suspect status and order the KPK to release Hasto from detention.

However, Sole Judge Djuyamto at the South Jakarta District Court, Thursday (13/2/2025), read the verdict stating that the pretrial application was not accepted. This rejection dashed Hasto's hopes of escaping the KPK's pursuit. Nevertheless, he did not give up and refiled the pretrial application.

In the midst of the second pretrial process of Hasto, in early March 2025, the KPK announced that the case file was ready to proceed to the prosecution stage. The following day, Hasto's case file along with the evidence was immediately transferred to the court.

The rapid transition from investigation to prosecution and then to court is attributed by the KPK to the fact that the case has been handled for a long time. With the transfer of the case to court, the second pretrial effort is automatically rendered void.

Hasto Kristiyanto sat in the defendant's chair for the first time on March 14, 2025. The public prosecutor charged Hasto Kristiyanto with obstructing the investigation process by instructing Harun Masiku to submerge a mobile phone, thereby hindering the legal proceedings.

The Secretary-General of PDI-P has been charged with being the mastermind behind the bribery of the management of DPR members for the 2019-2024 period, which also implicated former KPU member, Wahyu Setiawan.

After the reading of the indictment, Hasto's legal advisory team, led by Todung Mulya Lubis, immediately filed an objection or exception. Several elites from PDI Perjuangan were also present to provide moral support.

Less than four months since the first hearing, specifically on July 3, 2025, Hasto Kristiyanto was sentenced to 7 years in prison and a fine of Rp 600 million, with a subsidiary of 6 months' imprisonment. The prosecutor deemed Hasto guilty of jointly committing corruption and obstructing the investigation into the bribery case concerning the appointment of Harun Masiku as a member of the DPR for the 2019-2024 period, replacing Nazaruddin Kiemas. However, during the trial, Hasto denied the allegations.

Not only that, the prosecutor assessed that Hasto's actions also did not support the government's efforts in combating corruption. As mitigating factors, the prosecutor considered that the defendant behaved respectfully during the trial, has family responsibilities, and has no prior convictions.

The public prosecutor revealed that Hasto played an active role in the management of the PAW for Harun Masiku. This effort was made by the defendant by calling and asking Riezky to resign from his position as a member of the DPR. To Riezky, Hasto also stated that he would withhold the inauguration invitation until Riezky was willing to resign. However, Riezky rejected Hasto's request and proceeded with the inauguration.

Defendant Hasto Kristiyanto alleged that the legal case against him is a legal fabrication laden with political interests. He also denied the prosecutor's accusations 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.

His personal plea is 105 pages long and titled "Challenging Justice." Meanwhile, the plea from his legal advisory team is 3,550 pages long. The hearing on July 10 was presided over by Chief Judge Rios Rahmanto.

On July 15, the prosecutor presented a rebuttal that remained consistent with the initial charges. The most crucial dynamic in this rebuttal was the prosecutor's acknowledgment that there was indeed no direct evidence in the form of recordings or photographs showing Hasto physically meeting Harun Masiku.

However, the prosecutor emphasized that a series of circumstantial evidence, ranging from witness statements, telecommunications data, to the flow of funds to third parties, showed that Hasto was the mastermind behind Harun's secure position.

On July 18, 2025, it was Hasto's turn to submit a rebuttal. The legal team highlighted the prosecutor's admission of a lack of direct evidence. They argued that the prosecutor had completely failed to prove malicious intent (mens rea) and had only constructed a narrative based on assumptions. Without direct evidence, they argued, the charges should be dismissed by law.

Three days before the reading of the verdict for Hasto, or precisely on Tuesday (22/7/2025), the Coordinator of the Academic Alliance for Justice, consisting of several prominent figures and academics from various universities and colleges such as Prof. Franz Magnis-Suseno (STF Driyarkara), Prof. Maria W Sumardjono (UGM), Prof. Ramlan Surbakti (Unair), Prof. Sulistyowati Irianto (UI), and Marzuki Darusman (Attorney General 1999-2001), sent an amicus curiae or friend of the court brief to the panel of judges of the Central Jakarta Corruption Court.

In a document received by Kompas, the Independent Academic Alliance stated that the prosecution of Hasto Kristiyanto was riddled with irregularities and raised significant concerns. They assessed that the case appeared to be a criminalization and prosecution based more on political motives than legal ones.

The argument is reinforced by the alleged weakness of the evidence and the forced examination procedures of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). Furthermore, Hasto is a political party figure who is critical of the administration of the 7th President of the Republic of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, thus the prosecution against Hasto is seen as an attempt to attack a political opponent and maintain power.

They argue that if the judge does not acquit Hasto, it will send a negative signal regarding the independence of the judiciary and democracy in Indonesia. Prosecution based on political motives can undermine public trust in the judicial system and destroy judicial independence.

The Academic Alliance for Justice requests the panel of judges to consider their views as Court Friends in order to examine, decide, and adjudicate the case objectively, fairly, and based on the principles of law and the applicable regulations in Indonesia.

Today, July 25, 2025, the panel of judges will read its decision after considering the entire series of hearings, from the indictment, evidence presentation, prosecution demands, to the final defense. This decision will determine the final fate of Hasto Kristiyanto.