State Secretary Asks Hotman Not to Link Febrie Adriansyah Case to the President

State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi has requested that lawyer Hotman Paris Hutapea, who represents former Junior Attorney General for Special Crimes (Jampidsus) Febrie Ardiansyah, refrain from involving the name of President Prabowo Subianto. Prasetyo stated that Febrie’s case is a legal matter. “Yes, we leave it to the legal process. Do not link it to the President,” Prasetyo said after a meeting with House of Representatives (DPR) leaders at the Parliament Complex in Senayan, Jakarta, on Monday (20/7/2026). Prasetyo said legal cases must be handled according to legal mechanisms. He added that the examination of officials does not require permission from the President. “We fully return it to the applicable legal mechanism. I think there is no requirement that an ongoing examination process must have the President’s permission,” he said. Previously, Hotman Paris claimed that the case ensnaring Febrie was a form of criminalisation. He even admitted that he did not expect payment from Febrie, his client. “I do not expect money from the Jampidsus because I know it is impossible for him to pay me, it’s expensive. My fees are super expensive in Indonesia,” Hotman told the media at the Attorney General’s Office in South Jakarta on Friday (17/7) evening. Hotman then revealed his reasons for agreeing to defend Febrie. He invoked the name of President Prabowo Subianto, whom he claimed has been his loyal client for decades. “Remember, I was Prabowo’s lawyer for 25 years. I handled all of his major cases, including his brother Mr. Hashim’s. Even when he was Minister of Defence, I was often asked for legal assistance without payment,” Hotman said. He expressed dismay at Febrie’s current situation. For him, Febrie is an accomplished figure who was a source of pride for President Prabowo because he successfully recovered a fantastic amount of state assets. “The Jampidsus was someone President Prabowo was proud of. He secured the return of Rp 130 trillion in state losses, plus Rp 300 trillion from the PKH Task Force. A total of Rp 430 trillion was returned to the state. Imagine, someone the President is proud of suddenly being criminalised without the President being informed,” he stated. Febrie has been named a suspect in alleged corruption and money laundering related to the Asabri case. The case was initially handled by the National Police before being transferred to the Attorney General’s Office.