Jakarta. A Jakarta judge on Thursday rejected a pre-trial petition filed by Hasto Kristiyanto, the secretary-general of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), who sought to challenge his designation as a graft suspect by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

Hasto is accused of bribing a senior election official to help fellow PDI-P executive Harun Masiku secure a parliamentary seat. Harun, also a suspect in the case, has been on the run since 2020.

Judge Djuyamto of the South Jakarta District Court dismissed Hasto’s legal motion, citing incomplete documents and flawed legal arguments.

"Accordingly, the petition is rejected in its entirety," the judge ruled.

KPK Welcomes Court Ruling
The ruling was welcomed by KPK Chairman Setyo Budiyanto, who vowed to expedite legal proceedings against Hasto.

"This decision confirms that our handling of the graft case follows existing regulations," Setyo said.

However, he declined to specify when Hasto would be summoned for further questioning, saying that the decision would be left to investigators.

Political Tensions Surrounding the Case
Hasto has denied the allegations, while PDI-P’s legal team claims the case is politically motivated, pointing to Hasto’s outspoken criticism of the new government and former President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.

Hasto has been a vocal critic of Jokowi, particularly for his lack of support for PDI-P’s presidential candidate, Ganjar Pranowo, in last year’s election. He also condemned a controversial Constitutional Court ruling that allowed Jokowi’s son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, to run as vice president alongside Prabowo Subianto, who ultimately won the election.

In a dramatic political shake-up before Hasto’s indictment, PDI-P expelled Jokowi, his son-in-law Bobby Nasution, and Gibran from the party, fueling speculation about internal party rifts and political retaliation.

Despite these allegations, the KPK insists that its case against Hasto and Harun is purely legal and backed by strong evidence.

Former election official Wahyu Setiawan, who was convicted of accepting bribes from the two PDI-P politicians, has already served his prison sentence for his role in the scandal.