Semarang Corruption Court Rejects Former Pati Regent Sudewo's Exception Plea

The panel of judges at the Semarang Corruption Court rejected the exception of the former Regent of Pati, Sudewo, who is the defendant in a case involving alleged corruption in Directorate General of Railways (DJKA) projects and the extortion of village officials, on Monday (29/06/2026). The panel of judges ruled that the indictment presented by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) prosecutors against Sudewo complies with statutory provisions.

“First, declaring the objection of Sudewo’s advocates inadmissible. Second, ordering the public prosecutor to proceed with the examination of the case,” stated the Chairman of the Semarang Corruption Court Panel, Edwin Puyono.

In his considerations, Edwin stated that the indictment brought by the prosecutors against Sudewo aligns with legal regulations. “Therefore, the application of the defendant and the application of Sudewo’s legal team are deemed inadmissible,” he said.

In their exception, Sudewo’s legal team rejected the merging of two separate cases into a single indictment. They argued that such a move was baseless and risked prejudicing their client’s right to a defence.

The panel of judges rejected the arguments presented by Sudewo’s legal team. “The panel of judges considers that the merger of these cases has met the provisions of Article 72, paragraph (1), point a,” said Presiding Judge Edwin Puyono.

According to the judges, the merger of the two cases actually benefits Sudewo as the defendant. “Because the defendant, through his legal team, can present evidence for both cases simultaneously, which can be used to refute all allegations from the prosecutor. Thus, this actually assists the defendant’s legal team in focusing on presenting a defence in the defendant’s interest,” Edwin added.