Witnesses And Lawyers Feel That Surya Darmadi's Company Is Discriminated Against Regarding Permits

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

JAKARTA - Witness Manager of Legal Duta Palma Group Jakarta Office, Yudi Prasetyo Wibowo said as many as 309 companies did not have phase two forestry permits. However, only PT Duta Palma Group is legally processed.

This was revealed by Yudi when he was presented as a witness in the land transfer case in Indragiri Hulu (Inhu), Riau, with the defendants, former Inhu Regent, Raja Thamsir Rachman and the owner of PT Duta Palma Group, Surya Darmadi alias Apeng.

"That's right, sir (309 companies). In SK phase II, more than 100 companies experienced the same conditions experienced by the company owned by Pak Surya Darmadi," Yudi said during a trial at the Corruption Court, Central Jakarta, Monday, November 21.

According to him, PT Duta Palma Group has submitted the requirements to complete the second phase of the forestry permit. Currently, the permit is being processed.

"That's right, sir. Because the derivative of SK 351, the secretary general of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry wrote to the companies that were included in the second stage of the decree to complete the form of a high-resolution satellite image map for the 1 year time series before the permit was issued until November 2020. And that's because I am still at the company, I have submitted all the applications for the completeness of the data," he said.

Surya Darmadi's lawyer, Juniver Girsang, added that he questioned the reason for his problem with PT Duta Palma Group from hundreds of other companies. In fact, he suspects there is discrimination behind him.

"Well, the question is that if there are 309 companies in the second phase, that's why only PT Duta Palma is being processed, why other companies are not processed, this is a big question, the legal advisor questioned the public prosecutor at the trial why discrimination was happening, what's going on," said Juniver.

Surya Darmadi was charged with causing state financial losses of Rp4,798,706,951,640 and 7,885,857.36 US dollars. The calculation is based on the report of the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP) Number PE.03/SR/657/D5/01/2022 dated August 25, 2022.

Surya was also charged with causing state economic losses of Rp. 73,920,690,300 based on a report by the Institute for Economic and Business Research and Training, 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 a criminal act of corruption in the oil palm plantation business without a permit in Riau for the 2004-2022 period, thus obtaining a profit of IDR 7,593,068,204,327 and 7,885,857.36 US dollars (around IDR 117.617 billion at an exchange rate of IDR 14,915), bringing the total to IDR 7.71 trillion.

For the Rp7.71 trillion gain he earned, Surya is suspected of committing a crime of money laundering in the form of purchasing land, property, providing loans to affiliated parties, financing factory construction, and purchasing shares.