August 19, 2025 | 01:29 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Herdiansyah Hamzah, a legal expert in constitutional law at Mulawarman University, criticized the government’s decision to release Setya Novanto, the convicted e-KTP corruption case defendant, on conditional terms.
He argued that the government should not easily release corruptors if corruption is still considered an extraordinary crime.
"This contradicts the notion, as we are no longer employing extraordinary methods but rather simplifying the release and giving sentence discounts to corruption detainees," Herdiansyah told Tempo on Tuesday, August 19, 2025.
He added that releasing Setya Novanto shows a deviation from the government’s commitment to eradicating corruption.
He questioned the reasoning behind the release, saying, "It is clear that the conditional release of Setya Novanto contradicts our commitment to eradicating corruption. How could a convicted corruptor be given conditional release?"
Setya Novanto was conditionally released from Sukamiskin Correctional Facility on Saturday, August 16, 2025, following a total remission of 28 months and 15 days. He is required to report to the Bandung Correctional Facility (Bapas Bandung) until April 1, 2029.
"Since August 16, 2025, Setya Novanto's status has changed from an inmate to a correctional client at the Bandung Correctional Facility," said Rika Aprianti, Head of Subdirectorate for Cooperation of the Directorate General of Corrections, in a statement on Sunday, August 17, 2025.
The conditional release is based on the Minister of Immigration and Corrections Decree number PAS-1423 PK.05.03 dated August 15, 2025. Setya Novanto was officially released from Sukamiskin Correctional Facility following this decree.
Rika explained that Setya Novanto had been found guilty of violating Article 3 and Article 18 of the Law on Corruption Crimes.
He was originally sentenced to 15 years in prison, a fine of Rp 500 million with an alternative six months’ imprisonment, and compensation of Rp 49 billion with an alternative of two years’ imprisonment. The Supreme Court later reduced his prison term to 12 years and six months.
"(Setya Novanto is required) to receive guidance from the Bandung Correctional Facility Rehabilitation Officer until April 1, 2029," Rika added.
The proposal for his conditional release was approved by the TPP Hearing of the Directorate General of Corrections on August 10, 2025. Setya Novanto was then recommended for approval alongside 1,000 other integration program proposals from correctional facilities across Indonesia.
He was deemed to have met both administrative and substantive requirements, including paying fines and compensation and serving two-thirds of his prison term as stipulated in Article 10 paragraph (3) of the decree.
Amelia Rahima Sari contributed to the writing of this article.
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