Prabowo Recounts Allowing KPK to Proceed Against Corrupt Subordinates

President Prabowo Subianto has recounted a moment when the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) sought permission to proceed with legal action regarding alleged corruption involving his subordinates.

Prabowo mentioned that the KPK approached him to ask whether they could continue the ongoing legal process against the officials in question. He stated that he does not discriminate when it comes to law enforcement; if the KPK possesses sufficient evidence, he has instructed them to let the legal process proceed.

“It happened; suddenly the KPK came to me and said, ‘Sir, this is it,’ right. ‘This official did this, that, and that.’ So, what could I do? ‘Are we permitted to detain them?’” Prabowo said during the ‘Presiden Menjawab’ programme on Thursday (18/9).

“Do you have evidence? If there is evidence, please proceed, I said. Then, an incident occurred. There was my Deputy Minister; well, that is his responsibility,” he continued.

On that occasion, Prabowo also declared that he would not show favouritism in prosecuting corruption cases, including those involving people close to him, noting that they are not immune to the law.

He even revisited the alleged corruption case involving the Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) and former member of his campaign team, Dadan Hindayana.

“I have proven it. Mr Dadan was part of my campaign team, my expert team. I was the one who appointed him as Head of the BGN. I was also the one who handed him over to the prosecutor’s office,” he said.

During almost two years of Prabowo’s leadership, at least two Deputy Ministers in the Red and White Cabinet have faced legal proceedings by the KPK. The first was the former Deputy Minister of Manpower, Immanuel Ebenezer, also known as Noel, and the former Deputy Minister of Immigration and Correctional Services, Silmy Karim.

Noel was implicated in an alleged extortion case regarding the processing of Occupational Safety and Health (K3) certifications, while Silmy was involved in an alleged extortion and gratification case related to the processing of residence permits for foreign nationals.