Prabowo: I Handed Over Close Associates Involved in Corruption Cases

President Prabowo Subianto has asserted his commitment to eradicating corruption without exception, stating that even close associates are not immune to the law. He cited the case of Dadan Hindayana, a former member of his campaign team who was appointed Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN). Prabowo revealed that he was the one who handed Dadan over to the Attorney General's Office when the latter became entangled in a corruption case. "I have proven it. Pak Dadan was my campaign team, my expert team. I appointed him as Head of BGN. I was also the one who handed him over to the prosecutor's office (Attorney General's Office)," Prabowo said in the program "Presiden Menjawab" (The President Answers) on Wednesday (16/9/2026). Furthermore, he pointed to the seizure of assets at the Sultan Hotel as an example, explaining that the law is strictly enforced regardless of the owner's relationship. The hotel is owned by Pontjo Sutowo, who is described as a friend of Prabowo. "How many have I handed over, and how many assets have we seized? The Sultan Hotel, wow, many lobbied me. Perhaps Pak Pontjo is considered a prominent figure, and indeed he is also my friend. But I have no friends, this is the state," he explained. Upon becoming Minister of Defense in 2019, Prabowo also prohibited his close circle from doing business with the Ministry of Defense to avoid conflicts of interest. "The first day I became Minister of Defense, the first night, I gathered all my family and all my close associates in Gerindra. I said, I will be the Minister of Defense starting tomorrow, none of you are allowed to look for business in the Ministry of Defense," Prabowo stated. He also warned Gerindra party cadres that he would not provide protection if they were found to be involved in corruption, even after he became president. "When I became President, I told them to be careful, my brothers, Gerindra. Don't think that because I am President, if you do wrong, I cannot protect you. I told you upfront. And you can see, how many regents (from) Gerindra have been arrested (by law enforcement), how many mayors, and so on," he said. Prabowo emphasized that the people's interests must be above all else, and therefore, a leader must be wise to safeguard national and public interests. "To govern a country, we must be wise, we must be prudent. In the end, national interests, the people's interests must be above all else," Prabowo asserted.