From Orphans At The Age Of 12 To Become Crazy Rich: Helena Lim Defends Herself In The Tin Corruption Session

The defendant in the tin trading system corruption Helena Lim at the trial on Thursday 12 December 2024 (ANTARA)

JAKARTA The trial of the alleged corruption case of tin commodities at the Central Jakarta Commercial Court (PN Jakpus) revealed new facts regarding the defendant Helena Lim.

During the trial, Helena stated that she did not come from a rich family as often associated with the nickname "Crazy Rich Pantai Indah Kapuk (PIK)", but was born into a simple family and faced the challenges of life since childhood.

Helena admitted to being an orphan at the age of 12 after her father died. This forced her mother to work hard to support five children.

"Since the age of 12, I have helped Mama make money, ranging from sewing shoes, selling rice, to selling chips at school," he said in court, Thursday, December 12.

At the age of 17, Helena is already working in a large company and is able to pay for her own studies, although in the end she has to quit because of her busy work.

Helena then started a career in a foreign world and became a manager at PT Quantum Skyline Exchange (QSE), which brought her to the pinnacle of success. The nickname "Crazy Rich PIK" began to stick to her as her known glamorous lifestyle.

However, the label is now a heavy burden for him, especially after he became a defendant in the alleged corruption case of PT Timah. He felt his popularity was used as a weapon to attack him legally.

"I feel wronged because only me, as a public figure, was made a defendant in this case. Even though there are many other money changers who also make similar transactions," he said.

Helena denied allegations that PT QSE, her money changer company, was involved in a money laundering case. He acknowledged that there was administrative negligence in PT QSE, but confirmed that he never knew the origin of the other defendants' funds or crimes, including Harvey Moeis.

The defendants who used the services of PT QSE never informed me about the origin of their funds. Money changers like us have no obligation to trace the origins of customer funds, as stipulated in the applicable regulations," he explained.

Helena also rejected the prosecutor's claim that she and PT QSE received a flow of funds amounting to IDR 420 billion. According to him, this figure is just an estimate that emerged when investigators forced him to remember the number of transactions.

The Public Prosecutor (JPU) demanded Helena with a sentence of 8 years in prison, a fine of Rp. 1 billion, subsidiary of 1 year in prison, and payment of replacement money of Rp. 210 billion. Helena felt that this demand did not make sense considering that the foreign exchange business profits carried out by PT QSE were very small, only Rp. 10 to Rp. 30 per transaction.

"I ask His Majesty the Panel of Judges for justice. The amount of money to replace Rp 210 billion is impossible for me to pay, because it has never been in my possession," he said emotionally.

Helena also said that she was ready to take responsibility for administrative negligence, but emphasized that she had never intended to commit a criminal act of corruption. "If I had known the funds came from a crime, I would have refused the transaction," he said.

Helena Lim assessed that the origin of the value of Rp 420 billion which later became the basis for the imposition of replacement money was a calculation that appeared when one of the investigators was being examined. At that time, he was asked about the total transaction value of the defendants with PT QSE, Helena Lim answered spontaneously.

He also revealed that the investigator forced him to remember and be forced to say a number. However, there are so many transactions in PT QSE. In fact, foreign exchange traders always transact through bank accounts every day.

"But I stick to my answer that it is impossible for me to remember all the transactions that have occurred so far at PT QSE. I am just an ordinary man, Your Excellency, the Panel of Judges, it is impossible for me to remember thousands or even millions of transactions without looking at the data from the bank account," said Helena Lim in front of the panel of judges.

Meanwhile, Helena Lim assessed that the determination for the replacement money worth Rp 210 billion was considered disproportionate, impossible, and far from a sense of justice because the income was not that large. Business gains difference in exchange rates of around Rp10,- (ten rupiah) to Rp30,- (twenty rupiah) per Foreign Valuta. Therefore, he asked the judge to act fairly in giving the verdict.

"I ask for your justice, Your Honor, to be willing to place myself in my position and please seriously consider the conscience of the appropriateness of the 8 years plus 4 years claim because in my current position I certainly can't afford to pay the replacement money of Rp 210 billion. I am never in my possession, thus the total prison sentence that was thrown at me is 12 years," he added.

Now, Helena's fate is in the hands of the panel of judges who are expected to give a decision taking into account conscience and justice.