Aceh Prosecutor's Office Investigators Confiscate IDR 184 Billion Palm Oil Corruption Case Documents

Head of the Legal Information Section of the Aceh Prosecutor's Office, Ali Rasab Lubis. BETWEEN/M Haris SA

BANDA ACEH - Aceh High Prosecutor's Office (Kejati) investigators confiscated a number of documents from plantation companies related to the investigation of alleged corruption of Rp. 184 billion in Southwest Aceh Regency.

Acting (Plt) Head of the Legal Information and Public Relations Section of the Aceh Attorney General's Office, Ali Rasab Lubis, said the confiscated documents belonged to PT Cemerlang Abadi. The document was confiscated for investigation purposes.

"The confiscated documents were in the form of PT Cemerlang Abadi's activities and finances. The documents were confiscated to prove the alleged crime of oil palm plantations with state losses reaching Rp. 184 billion," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Friday, May 19.

He said the documents were confiscated during a search at the company office of PT Cemerlang Abadi in Cot Seimantok, Babahrot District, Southwest Aceh Regency. As well as at the company's plantation assistant's house in Pante Rakyat, Babahrot District, Southwest Aceh Regency.

"This alleged corruption case has been upgraded to the investigation stage. This case is handled by the Aceh Attorney General's Office and the Southwest Aceh District Attorney's Office. Even though it has been upgraded to the investigation stage, until now investigators have not named a suspect," he said.

Previously, Aceh Attorney General's Office investigators found indications of state losses from state land managers for oil palm plantations illegally by the company with a value of Rp. 184 billion.

"The findings of an indication of state losses of Rp. 184 billion were disclosed by a team of prosecutors in case exposure at the Aceh High Prosecutor's Office. In this exposure, the investigative team found state losses from state land managers for oil palm plantations without permits reaching Rp. 184 billion," he explained.

He said the indications of state losses of Rp. 184 billion came from the illegal profit from the sale of palm fresh fruit bunches (FFB) on state land with an area of 4,847.18 hectares.

In fact, he said, the land management was only based on the recommendations of Committee B and Acting Governor of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam in 1990. Only based on these recommendations, the company freely manages state land for oil palm plantations.

Ali Rasab said PT Cemerlang Abadi was the owner of the right to use business (HGU) with a permit issued in 1990. The HGU area managed by the company reaches 7,516 hectares.

However, in its management, he said, the plantation company does not carry out its obligation to preserve the natural resource environment and carry out the obligation to build plasma gardens.

"As a result, the state's economic losses reached more than Rp. 10.17 trillion. The state's economic losses were disclosed by the Aceh High Court Investigation Team," he said.