His Subordinates Become Suspects In Bribery Of Cooking Oil Export Permits, Trade Minister Lutfi: We Help The Law Enforcement Process

JAKARTA - Minister of Trade, Muhammad Lutfi, emphasized that the Ministry of Trade continues to support the legal process carried out by the Attorney General's Office regarding allegations of gratification or bribery in granting permission to issue cooking oil exports.

This statement was made by the Minister of Trade Lutfi following the determination of the status of the Director-General of Foreign Trade at the Ministry of Trade with the initials IWW as a suspect in a press conference held by the Indonesian Attorney General's Office today.

"The Ministry of Trade supports the current legal process. The Ministry of Trade is also ready to always provide the information needed in the law enforcement process", he said in a written statement, Tuesday, April 19.

In carrying out its functions, Lutfi admits, he always emphasizes his staff so that licensing services are carried out by applicable and transparent regulations. For this reason, Lutfi supports the legal process if it is proven that there has been an abuse of authority.

"I have instructed the ranks of the Ministry of Trade to assist in the ongoing law enforcement process because acts of corruption and abuse of authority cause state losses and have an impact on the national economy and harm the community", concluded the Trade Minister.

Previously reported, the Attorney General's Office named four suspects in the case of exporting crude palm oil (CPO). One of them is the Director-General of Foreign Trade of the Ministry of Trade with the initials IWW.

"First, an echelon I official at the Ministry of Trade, named IWW, the Director-General of Foreign Trade of the Ministry of Trade, with the alleged act of having unlawfully issued export approvals related to CPO commodities and their derivative products to Permata Hijau Group, Wilmar Nabati Indonesia, PT Multimas Nabati Asahan and PT Musim Mas", he said in a virtual press conference, Tuesday, April 19.

Meanwhile, the other three suspects are from the private sector. They are the Senior Manager of Corporate affairs of Permata Hijau Group with the initials SMA; Commissioner of PT Wilmar Nabati Indonesia with the initials MPT; and the General Manager of PT Musim Mas with the initials PT.

According to Burhanuddin, the three suspects from the company have intensively tried to approach the Director-General of Trade at the Ministry of Trade IWW to obtain a CPO export permit.

"Even though these companies are not companies that have the right to get export approval", he said.