Troubled People's Palm Oil Program, IDR 38.4 Billion PSR Funds Allegedly Misappropriated

The Aceh Prosecutor's Office investigator team showed more than Rp17 billion in cash confiscated from the corruption case of the people's oil palm rejuvenation program in Banda Aceh, Wednesday (13/8/2025). (ANTARA)

BANDA ACEH - Aceh High Prosecutor's Office (Kejati) investigators examined 465 witnesses in investigating cases of alleged corruption in the people's palm oil rejuvenation program (PSR) in Aceh Jaya Regency, which cost the state Rp38.4 billion.

Head of the Legal Information and Public Relations Section of the Aceh Attorney General's Office, Ali Rasab Lubis, said investigators had named three suspects in the alleged corruption case of the PSR program.

"Until now, investigators have examined 464 witnesses and four experts. Witnesses are related parties in the people's palm oil rejuvenation program in Aceh Jaya Regency," said Ali Rasab Lubis, quoted by ANTARA, Friday, August 22.

Of the hundreds of witnesses, he said, 382 of them were from the community or plantations who were proposed to receive the PSR program. The following are four people from the Palm Oil Plantation Fund Management Agency (BPDPKS).

Furthermore, 40 witnesses from the Aceh Jaya District Agriculture Service, a witness from the Aceh Plantation Service, one witness from the Indonesian Ministry of Transmigration, was a witness from the Aceh Transmigration Service.

"As well as four witnesses from the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture, as many as 40 witnesses from the Aceh Jaya District Agriculture Service, 14 witnesses from village and sub-district officials, six from cooperatives, and 12 witnesses from partners or providers," said Ali Rasab Lubis.

Previously, Aceh Attorney General's Office investigators named three names as suspects for alleged corruption in the PSR program for the 2019 to 2023 fiscal years with state losses reaching Rp38.4 billion.

The three of them are with the initials S as Chair of the Aceh Jaya Regency Mangate Agricultural Cooperative. S also served as a member of the Aceh Jaya DPRK for the 2024-2024 period.

Next, TM as Head of the Aceh Jaya Regency Agriculture Service from 2017 to 2020 as well as Acting (Plt) Head of the Aceh Jaya Regency Agriculture Service from 2023 to 2024.

As well as TR as the Head of the Aceh Jaya Regency Agriculture Service from March 2021 to 2023. TR is currently the Regional Secretary of Aceh Jaya Regency.

Now, the three suspects are being held at the Class IIB Banda Aceh Detention Center. In addition to detaining the suspects, investigators also confiscated more than IDR 17 billion as evidence.

Ali Rasab said the case began when S as Chair of the Sama Mangat Agriculture Cooperative in 2019 to 2021 submitted a proposal for a request for oil palm oil rejuvenation assistance funds to BPDPKS through the Aceh Jaya Regency Agriculture Service.

"In the proposal, the oil palm replanting program is for 599 plantations with a land area of 1,536.7 hectares," he said.

Furthermore, the Aceh Jaya District Agriculture Service verified the administration and technical proposals. From the results of the verification, the Aceh Jaya District Agriculture Service issued a technical recommendation.

"Then, the recommendation was submitted to BPDPKS and then the agency distributed funds for the oil palm rejuvenation program to the Sama Mangat Agriculture Cooperative of more than Rp. 38.4 billion," said Ali Rasab Lubis.

However, based on data from the Indonesian Ministry of Transmigration, the proposed PSR program land for the cooperative does not belong to the planter, but the land of the former PT Tiga Mitra which is located in the land management rights area (HPL) of the Indonesian Ministry of Transmigration.

In addition, based on satellite imagery results, the proposed land for the PSR program did not find any community oil palm plants. Land in the form of forest areas and bushes

"The state losses incurred in the alleged corruption of the PSR program in Aceh Jaya Regency amounted to Rp38.4 billion or a total loss," said Ali Rasab Lubis.