Witness Reveals Money Circulation Of PT Duta Palma Group Owned By Surya Darmadi

Surya Darmadi arrived in Indonesia from Taiwan on Monday, August 15. (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Finance Staff of PT Duta Palma Group, Karenina Gunawan, explained that the circulation of money in a company owned by Surya Darmadi is valued at IDR 1.7 trillion. The money was recorded as dividends and equity participation between subsidiaries.

Karenina Gunawan was originally supposed to be presented as a witness in the follow-up trial of the alleged corruption case over land conversion in Indragiri Hulu (Inhu), Riau, with the defendants, former Inhu District Head, Raja Thamsir Rachman and Surya Darmadi alias Apeng.

"What I know is that the needs are only for the company's operational needs," said Karenina in a trial at the Corruption Court, Central Jakarta, Monday, November 28

Then, Karenina also considered that turnover in the PT Duta Palma Group subsidiary was not an effort to launder money. The reason was that the money was still in the company owned by Surya Daramadi.

"No," said Karenina.

Another witness, Jane as Inventory of PT Duta Palma Group, said that all financial reports are audited every year. Then, dividend distribution in 2022 is the result of the company's profit in the previous year or 2021.

Jane said that no funds were transferred outside the holding company or to people who were not shareholders.

"There is no money coming out of the company," she said.

Responding to this, Surya Darmadi's legal adviser, Juniver Girsang, said that the witness' statement emphasized that there was no money laundering by Surya Darmadi. Thus, he questioned the prosecutor's calculations that his client and his company had caused losses to the state of up to hundreds of trillions of rupiah.

"Money from Surya Darmadi's company goes back to Surya Darmadi's company for depositing capital, not hiding it, diverting it," said Juniver.

"Then, how come it is called money laundering? Even from the calculation it is called a value of 1.7 trillion rupiah. The accusation of causing losses to the state of more than one hundred trillion is very vague. Unfounded," he continued.

Surya Darmadi was charged with causing losses to state finances amounting to IDR 4,798,706,951,640 and US$7,885,857.36. This calculation is based on the report of the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP) Number PE.03/SR/657/D5/01/2022 dated 25 August 2022.

Surya was also charged with causing losses to the state economy of IDR 73,920,690,300 based on a report by the Economics and Business Research and Training Institute, Faculty of Economics and Business, Gadjah Mada University on August 24, 2022. Thus, the total state loss due to Surya Darmadi's actions was IDR 78.8 trillion.

Surya Darmadi was charged with committing the criminal act of corruption in the oil palm plantation business without a permit in Riau for the 2004-2022 period, resulting in a profit of IDR 7,593,068,204,327 and US$ 7,885,857.36 (around IDR 117.617 billion at an exchange rate of IDR 14,915) so that the total is IDR 7.71 trillion.

With the profit of IDR7.71 trillion he obtained, Surya is suspected of committing money laundering crimes in the form of purchasing land and property, providing loans to affiliated parties, financing factory construction, and purchasing shares.