JAKARTA - Food company Wilmar Group said on June 17 it had handed over 11.8 trillion rupiah (S$928 million) to Indonesia’s Attorney General’s Office as a “security deposit” in relation to a case in court about alleged misconduct in obtaining palm oil export permits.

Indonesian prosecutors are appealing a court ruling that had cleared Wilmar and two other palm oil companies of accusation of paying bribes to obtain the permits in 2022. Prosecutors had demanded 11.8 trillion rupiah in fines from Wilmar.

Wilmar said the money would be returned if Indonesia’s Supreme Court cleared the company of wrongdoing in the ongoing case, but would be forfeited in part or in full if the court found against the company.

Wilmar said its actions in the palm oil export permit case were done “in compliance with prevailing regulations” and “were free from any corrupt intent”.

A senior official at the Attorney General’s Office, Sutikno, spoke about the case at a press conference in which authorities were surrounded by stacks of cash amounting to 2 trillion rupiah.

“Wilmar paid for the state losses they caused,” he said.

In April, the Attorney General’s Office arrested judges who acquitted the companies of misconduct in obtaining export permits, saying the judges received 60 billion rupiah to reach a verdict in their favour.

The Attorney General’s Office arrested an employee of Wilmar in connection with the case in April. The company said it was assisting with the investigations.

Shares of the group’s Singapore-listed entity, Wilmar International, closed down 0.3 per cent, or one cent, at $3.01 on June 17. REUTERS

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