InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA – The South Jakarta District Court held a pretrial hearing initiated by seven palm oil companies, including PT Duta Palma Group, PT Darmex Plantation, and PT Palma Satu, over allegations of money laundering in a palm oil plantation case in Indragiri Hulu. These companies, along with the Darmex Foundation and individuals Surya Darmadi (owner of Duta Palma Group) and Riady Iskandar, were named suspects by the Attorney General’s Office (AGO).

The pretrial motion challenged the AGO's suspect designations and asset seizures, claiming the actions were lawful under existing regulations. However, the AGO dismissed the claims as baseless. Harli Siregar, Head of the AGO’s Legal Information Center, affirmed that the suspect designation followed due legal process and was backed by substantial evidence.

“Our investigation identified connections to other parties accountable for criminal acts based on the Jakarta Corruption Court’s ruling, which involved assets derived from crimes concealed through PT Asset Pacific and PT Darmex Plantation,” Harli said in an official statement on Friday, December 6, 2024.

He further detailed that the AGO had secured at least two pieces of evidence, including testimony from seven witnesses. Harli emphasized the corporate legal liability in this case, which differs from individual accountability in similar cases that have reached final judgments.

Regarding asset seizures, Harli stated that the process followed a thorough investigation of assets linked to criminal activity. “The applicants' arguments pertain to substantive issues already under primary case examination, making the pretrial motion unwarranted,” he added.

The pretrial hearing marks a significant chapter in addressing corporate accountability in the palm oil sector amid allegations of corruption and money laundering. It is hoped the legal process will shed light on corporate responsibilities concerning illegal practices that harm the state and society. (T2)