Legal Literacy- President Prabowo Subianto officially granted "Rehabilitation" status to the defendants in the Corruption Crime (Tipikor) case that ensnared the ranks of former PT ASDP officials. They are Ira Puspadewi (Former President Director), M Yusuf Hadi (Commercial and Service Director 2019-2024), and Harry Muhammad Adhi Caksono (Director of Planning and Development 2020-2024).

This step has triggered fierce debate among legal experts and the public. Although the granting of rehabilitation is a Presidential Prerogative guaranteed by the constitution (Article 14 Paragraph (1) of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia), a crucial question arises: Is this step in line with the public's sense of justice? Or are there hidden interests being protected?

Definition of Rehabilitation in Law

In simple terms, the meaning of rehabilitation is the restoration of a person's rights. This includes the restoration of reputation and legal status for those who have previously been processed by law, but later found to be errors without legal basis or errors in the application of law.

Normatively, the rehabilitation mechanism is regulated in the old Criminal Code (Article 1 number 23 and Article 97). This authority is reinforced by the 1945 Constitution which reads:

“The President grants clemency and rehabilitation with due regard to the considerations of the Supreme Court.”