Legal Literacy - An article by Raihan Andhika Santoso titled Presidential Prerogative Rights and Public Sense of Justice: Rehabilitation of Former President Director of ASDP Amidst Polemics (Indonesian Legal Literacy, 12/3/2025) highlights the heated debate regarding constitutionally guaranteed rehabilitation (Article 14 Paragraph (1) of the 1945 Constitution). A crucial question arises: Is this step in line with the public's sense of justice, or does it protect hidden interests?

The analysis reminds us of the granting of abolition to Tom Lembong, former Minister of Trade of the Republic of Indonesia, and amnesty to Hasto Kristiyanto, Secretary General of PDIP.

President of the Republic of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto used his constitutional power, namely the prerogative rights of abolition, amnesty, and rehabilitation. Substantially, these three things are different, but their application is suspected to be full of political content. The criminal verdict of 4.5 years in prison in the case of corruption in sugar imports against Tom Lembong, the verdict of 3.5 years in prison in the bribery case of Harun Masiku against Hasto Kristiyanto, and the verdict of 4 years and 6 months in prison in the case of the acquisition of PT Jembatan Nusantara by PT ASDP against Ira Puspadewi, were annulled through this mechanism. Indeed, law is the commander, but politics is the king (Prasetio, L…