REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The Presidential Palace denied the former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY)'s accusation that the clemency from the President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) to former Head of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Antasari Azhar had a political tendency.  "I wanted to emphasize that the President gave a clemency to Antasari Azhar based on the Constitution," said the State Secretary Pratikno in the Presidential Palace Jakarta on Wednesday (Feb 15).

Pratikno explained in Article 14 of the Constitution, the President should consider the Supreme Court's recommendation in giving a clemency. He claimed the procedure was followed by the President. He also showed a number of documents, including the Supreme Court's recommendation used as a consideration in giving the clemency to the reporters. 

Pratikno said the President also refered to the recommendation from some other institutions, such as the Attorney General, the Ministry of Politics, Law, and Security Affairs, the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, and so on. "I brought the documents because people continuously asking. The President should refer to the recommendation from the Supreme Court, the Attorney General, the Ministry of Politics, Law, and Security Affairs, the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, and so on. And in the Constitution it was clearly mentioned that he should consider the Supreme Court recommendation," he said.

Pratikno said the Supreme Court recommendation stated that Antasari Azhar was proper to get a clemency. "By the recommendation, the President gave the clemency. I guessed it should not be linked to a certain agenda. It was only a common process as stated by the Constitution. That's it," he said.

Pratikno said the clemency should not be linked to Antasari's statement, because in fact the policy had been procedural. He claimed he did not accompany Jokowi to met Antasari. But, he stated that Antasari told Jokowi about his experiences in enforcing the law at the KPK.  

Also read: SBY tweets to respond Antasari's "attack"

According to Pratikno, the Palace should give a clarification to public on the mechanisms and the procedures in giving a clemency because there were many people asked about it.  He also said Jokowi had given hundreds of clemency during his serving period. "This was not the first clemency. There were hundreds of clemency had given by the President. Do not linked all things with the President.  

He asked the citizen to take the matter to its proportion that the clemency had been given as the mechanism. "I was just made a report to the President. I said it was clearly followed the mechanism. There was recommendation from the Supreme Court and it was a President's duty to consider it. And you (president) had been very careful on considering it. So you did not need to be worried, we were on the right mechanism," he remarked.

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