The Attorney General's Office Examines Former Officials At The Ministry Of Industry Regarding Sugar Importing Corruption

Kapuspenkum Attorney General's Office Ketut Sumedana/DOK AGO

JAKARTA - Investigators of the Deputy Attorney General for Special Crimes (Jampidsus) at the Attorney General's Office examined three witnesses who were former officials within the Ministry of Industry related to the investigation of the alleged corruption case of sugar importation activities for the period 2015 to 2023 at the Ministry of Trade.

Head of the Legal Information Center (Kapuspenkum) of the Attorney General's Office, Ketut Sumedana, said the three witnesses were PS as Director General of Agro Industry at the Ministry of Industry for the 2016-2018 period. Then witness EFY as Head of Sub-Directorate of Plantation Products Industry at the Directorate of Marine Food and Fisheries Industry, Director General of Agro Industry, Ministry of Industry in 2016.

"The three witnesses are IYA as Head of the Legal Bureau of the Ministry of Industry," Sumedana said as quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, October 18.

Sumedana said that the examination of the three witnesses was carried out to strengthen the evidence and complete the filing in the case.

As for the three witnesses examined, PS refers to the statement of Panggah Susanto, EFY referring to the statements of Ericha Fatma Yuniati and IYA referring to the statement of Fisha Yossye Ardianingsih.

Previously, on Tuesday (17/10), investigators examined one witness with the initials YE as an ASN at the Ministry of Trade.

In this case, Jampidsus investigators found two pieces of preliminary evidence on suspicion of abuse of authority in the sugar importation activity at the Ministry of Trade.

"This action is suspected, among others, in order to fulfill the national sugar stock and the stability of the national sugar price stock," said the Director of Investigation at Jampidsus Kuntadi, Tuesday (3/10).

The Ministry of Trade is suspected of committing illegal acts by issuing the approval of imports of raw crystal sugar (GKM) in question to be processed into white crystal sugar (GKP) to parties suspected of being authorized.

In addition, he continued, the Ministry of Trade is also suspected of having granted import permits that exceed the maximum quota limit required by the government.

In this case, investigators have conducted searches at the Ministry of Trade office and the Office of PT Perusahaan Perdagangan Indonesia (PPI) in Central Jakarta.

At the Ministry of Trade office, the Investigative Team conducted searches in the Ministerial Administration room, the Director of Imports' Room, and the workspace of the Chairperson of the Agricultural Product Import Team.

Meanwhile, at the PPI Office, the Investigative Team conducted a search of the Archives Room and the PT PPI Accounting and Finance Division.

From the searches at the two locations, investigators confiscated a number of electronic evidence related to criminal incidents and documents.