Prabowo's Party Rebukes Hotman Paris for Invoking President in Corruption Case
The Gerindra Party has publicly criticized lawyer Hotman Paris for repeatedly invoking President Prabowo Subianto while defending a former senior prosecutor in a corruption case. Party officials stated that linking the president to the legal defense is inappropriate and contradicts the administration's anti-corruption stance.
Why it matters
The incident highlights political tensions regarding judicial independence and the potential for high-profile legal figures to leverage presidential associations in Indonesia.
July 19, 2026 | 11:58 pm SHARE URL berhasil di salin. Lawyer Hotman Paris Hutapea speaks to journalists at the Attorney General's Office in Jakarta, Friday, July 17, 2026. (Antara Photo/Fakhri Hermansyah) Jakarta. The ruling Gerindra Party has criticized prominent lawyer Hotman Paris Hutapea for repeatedly invoking President Prabowo Subianto while defending former senior prosecutor Febrie Adriansyah, who is under investigation in a high-profile corruption case.
The criticism followed Hotman's first press conference since joining Febrie's legal team, during which he described his client as "one of Prabowo's proudest people" for helping recover an estimated Rp 430 trillion ($24 billion) in state assets while serving as deputy attorney general for special crimes.
Hotman also said he had represented both Prabowo and the president's brother, Hashim Djojohadikusumo, for years and had never lost a case. He further argued that police should have informed the president before naming Febrie a corruption suspect.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in