Controversy of Corruption Verdict and Presidential Rehabilitation
📌 Former Director of PT ASDP Indonesia Feri, Ira Puspa Dewi, and two other former directors received rehabilitation from President Prabowo Subianto following controversial corruption convictions.
🏛️ The case stemmed from the acquisition of PT Jembatan Nusantara (PTJN) by ASDP between 2019 and 2022 for Rp1.25 trillion to strengthen services to 3T regions (remote, outermost, and frontier areas).
🚢 KPK suspected corruption because many acquired PTJN ships were old, with one dating back to 1959, requiring major repairs and deemed unfit for operation.
⚖️ KPK calculated state losses at Rp1.25 trillion, based on the difference between the purchase price and asset fair value, but this calculation was done internally by KPK forensic accounting, not by official state auditing bodies (BPKP/BPK).

Defense Arguments and Judicial Dissent
💰 Post-acquisition, ASDP achieved its highest net profit in history, contradicting the notion of state loss.
📉 Ira argued the KPK's loss calculation was unreasonable, valuing one large vessel (99,000 gross tonnage) equivalent to an old small ferry, suggesting an alleged markup of 6,600% based on scrap metal value.
👨‍⚖️ Presiding Judge Sunoto issued a dissenting opinion, arguing the defendants lacked *mens rea* (criminal intent), gained no personal benefit, and that the acquisition should be protected by the business judgment rule as a strategic business decision.
📈 Expert testimony suggested similar ASDP ships were purchased for Rp171 billion to Rp220 billion, indicating the acquisition was potentially profitable, not detrimental.

Public and Expert Reactions to the Ruling
🗣️ Former Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Mahfud MD called the initial verdict "absurd" because it lacked evidence of corruption, state loss, or criminal intent, highlighting the illogical nature of the KPK's scrap metal valuation.
💼 Professor Renald Kasali emphasized the acquisition was a normal corporate action; if negligence occurred, a demotion/administrative penalty should suffice, warning that criminalizing professional decisions deters talented individuals from serving state-owned enterprises (BUMN).
📑 Following public aspirations and reviews by the DPR, the President exercised his constitutional right to grant rehabilitation, supported by legal advice confirming his authority since no appeal was filed.

Key Points & Insights
➡️ The core issue is distinguishing between suboptimal business decisions and genuine criminal corruption, a line that legal execution must clearly define.
➡️ The initial KPK loss calculation method, which allegedly valued large assets based on scrap metal price, was heavily criticized for ignoring business value, route profitability, and operational income.
➡️ Criminalizing strategic BUMN decisions risks creating a culture where leaders prefer risk-averse, non-innovative management for fear of prosecution.
➡️ The KPK stated that while rehabilitation was granted, the investigation into other suspects related to the PTJN acquisition will continue.

📸 Video summarized with SummaryTube.com on Nov 29, 2025, 05:00 UTC