JAKARTA, June 17 — Food company Wilmar Group said on Tuesday it had handed over 11.8 trillion rupiah (RM3.07 billion) to Indonesia's Attorney-General's Office as a "security deposit" in relation to a case in court about alleged misconduct in obtaining palm oil export permits.
Prosecutors are appealing a court ruling that had cleared Wilmar and two other palm oil companies of the accusation of paying bribes to obtain the permits in 2022. They had demanded 11.8 trillion rupiah in fines from Wilmar.
Wilmar said the money would be returned if Indonesia's Supreme Court cleared the company of wrongdoing in the ongoing case, but would be forfeited in part or in full if the court found against the company.
The company added that its actions in the palm oil export permit case were done "in compliance with prevailing regulations" and "were free from any corrupt intent".
A senior official at the Attorney-General's Office, Sutikno, spoke about the case at a press conference, where authorities were surrounded by stacks of cash amounting to two trillion rupiah (RM521 million).
"Wilmar paid for the state losses they caused," he said.
In April, the Attorney-General's Office arrested judges who acquitted the companies of misconduct in obtaining export permits, saying the judges received 60 billion rupiah (RM15.6 million) to reach a verdict in their favour.
It arrested a Wilmar employee in connection with the case in April. The company said it was assisting with the investigations.
— Reuters
