Salt Import Corruption Case, AGO Examines 3 Former Directors At The Ministry Of Trade

Kapuspenkum Attorney General's Office Ketut Sumedana/DOK AGO

JAKARTA - Investigators of the Deputy Attorney General for Special Crimes (Jampidsus) of the Attorney General's Office examined three former directors at the Ministry of Trade (Kemendag) as witnesses in a case of alleged corruption in the provision of industrial salt import facilities in the 2016-2022 period.

Head of the Center for Legal Information (Kapuspenkum) at the Attorney General's Office, Ketut Sumedana, said the three former directors who were questioned had the initials M, DE, and TL.

"The three of them are being investigated regarding the regulation of salt importation," Sumedana said as quoted by Antara, Monday, July 4.

Witness M refers to the statement of Marthin as the Director General of Foreign Trade (Daglu) for the 2014-2015 period.

Then the witness DE referred to the statements of Doddy Edwar as the Director General of Foreign Trade for the 2015-2017 period and Thamrin Latuconsina as the Import Director of the Ministry of Trade for the 2014-2015 period.

In addition to the three, investigators examined another witness, namely Any Mulyanti as the Coordinator and Implementer of the 2017 Integrated Trade Service Unit I.

"Witness examination is carried out to strengthen evidence and complete the filing in the case," said Ketut.

Previously, Attorney General Sanitiar Burhanuddin stated that the Attorney General's Office had upgraded the status of the handling of cases of alleged corruption in the import of salt in 2016-2022 from an investigation to an investigation on Monday (27/6).

The alleged corruption case of abuse of authority in determining quotas, granting approval, implementation and supervision of salt imports has caused state economic losses.

The Ministry of Trade in 2018 issued industrial salt import approvals to PT MTS, PT SM, and PT UI without verifying, causing an excess of industrial salt imports.

Salt which was originally specifically for the industry was printed using the Indonesian national standard (SNI). This case affects the business of PT Garam (Persero) owned by BUMN which is unable to compete with the low prices caused by this case of excess imports.

Based on information received in 2018, there were 21 salt importing companies that received a quota of industrial salt import approvals with a value of IDR 2.05 trillion without taking into account local salt stocks and available industrial salt stocks.

The importers then illegally diverted the allotment of industrial salt into consumption salt with a fairly high price ratio, resulting in losses for local salt farmers and losses for the country's economy.

The provisions of the articles alleged in this case are primary Article 2 paragraph (1) of Law Number 31 of 1999 as amended by Law Number 20 of 2001 concerning the Eradication of Criminal Acts of Corruption.

Then, a subsidiary of Article 3 of Law Number 31 of 1999 as amended by Law Number 20 of 2001 concerning the Eradication of Criminal Acts of Corruption.

There are indications of state economic losses from cases of alleged criminal acts of corruption, abuse of authority in determining quotas, granting approval, implementation, and supervision of salt imports in 2016-2022.