Indonesian Supreme Court strikes down palm oil giants’ corruption acquittal

Judges Agam Syarif Baharudin (centre) and Ali Muhatarom (right), who are standing trial for alleged bribery pertaining to the acquittal of palm oil companies in the crude palm oil export case, put on their prisoner vest after a hearing at the Jakarta Corruption Court in Jakarta on Wednesday (Sept 24). - Antara via The Jakarta Post/ANN

JAKARTA: The Supreme Court has overturned a lower court ruling that cleared three major palm oil groups of corruption charges linked to permits for crude palm oil (CPO) exports, reinstating their criminal liability and ordering trillions of rupiah in fines and restitutions.

In a ruling read on Sept. 15, the court found palm oil companies Wilmar Group, Permata Hijau Group and Musim Mas Group guilty of corruption when obtaining permits to export CPO and its derivatives in 2022, the year when shipments of such products were restricted due to domestic cooking oil shortage.