AGO: Alleged Corruption In The Import Of Sugar From The Ministry Of Trade Has Nothing To Do With Zulkifli Hasan's Policy

Head of the Legal Information Center (Kapuspenkum) of the Attorney General's Office Ketut Sumedana, Tuesday (3/10/2023). (ANTARA/Laily Rahmawaty)

The Head of the Legal Information Center (Kapuspenkum) of the Attorney General's Office, Ketut Sumedana, emphasized that Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan was not related to the alleged corruption case of abuse of authority in sugar importation activities at the Ministry of Trade for the 2015-2023 period, which is currently being handled by Jampidsus investigators.

"The case in question has nothing to do with the policy of the Minister of Trade Zulkifli Hasan who was sworn in in June 2022, in fact the Minister of Trade currently provides an opportunity to open this case objectively and transparently," Sumedana said as quoted by ANTARA, Friday, October 6.

The AGO feels the need to convey this clarification because journalists' questions regarding the plan to postpone Minister Zulkifli Hasan or Zulhas.

According to Sumedana, Zulhas, apart from supporting the Prosecutor's Office, transparently investigating cases, also provided access to the investigative team to conduct a search at the ministry's office on Tuesday (3/10).

"In addition, he (Zulhas) also gave the Investigative Team access to conduct a search in order to collect evidence on Tuesday, October 03, 2023," said Ketut.

The former Deputy Head of the Bali High Prosecutor's Office added that the investigators would not summon Zulhas as a witness because there was no connection in the case.

Because the case, he said, had been carried out long before Zulhas was appointed as Minister of Trade.

"Minister of Trade Zulkifli Hasan will not be summoned as a witness in the case. This case is a policy that has been implemented since 2015, carried out illegally and has the potential to cause state and state economic losses," said Sumedana.

Previously, the Junior Attorney General for Special Crimes at the Attorney General's Office (Jampidsus Kelegung) investigated allegations of abuse of authority in sugar importation activities at the Ministry of Trade (Kemendag) which occurred in the 2015 to 2023 period.

Director of Investigation at the Jampidsus Attorney General's Office in Kuntadi in Jakarta, Tuesday (3/10), said that his party had found two sufficient preliminary pieces of evidence on suspicion of abuse of authority in the sugar importation activity at the Ministry of Trade.

"This action is, among other things, allegedly in the context of fulfilling national sugar stocks and stability of national sugar prices," he said.

According to Kuntadi, the Ministry of Trade is suspected of committing illegal acts by issuing approval for imports of raw crystal sugar (GKM) in question for processing into white crystal sugar (GKP) to parties suspected of being authorized.

In addition, he continued, the Ministry of Trade is also suspected of having granted import permits that exceed the maximum quota limit required by the government.

In this case, investigators have conducted searches at the Ministry of Trade office and the office of PT Perusahaan Perdagangan Indonesia (PPI) in Central Jakarta.

At the Office of the Ministry of Trade, the Investigative Team conducted searches in the Ministerial Administration room, the Director of Imports, and the workspace of the Chairperson of the Agricultural Product Import Team.

Meanwhile, at the PPI Office, the Investigative Team conducted a search of the Archives Room and the PT PPI Accounting and Finance Division.

From the searches at the two locations, investigators confiscated a number of electronic evidence related to criminal incidents and documents.