Five corporate subsidiaries under the Wilmar Group have returned a total of Rp11.88 trillion (US$730 million) to the government in a major corruption case related to the 2022 issuance of crude palm oil (CPO) export permits.
The funds, which have been seized by prosecutors, are now under judicial review by the Supreme Court (MA) following a controversial lower court ruling that acquitted the companies of all charges.
According to the Attorney General’s Office (AGO), the five companies − PT Multimas Nabati Asahan, PT Multi Nabati Sulawesi, PT Sinar Alam Permai, PT Wilmar Bioenergi Indonesia, and PT Wilmar Nabati Indonesia −returned the funds voluntarily during the prosecution phase in May 2025.
“These funds represent compensation for state losses calculated by the Development Finance Comptroller(BPKP) and further analyzed by the Faculty of Economics and Business at Gadjah Mada University (UGM),” Sutikno, Director of Prosecution at the Office of Junior Attorney General for Special Crimes, told a press conference on Tuesday evening, June 17, 2025.
The case centers around allegations that Wilmar and other palm oil giants unlawfully benefited from preferential export licensing during a critical period of domestic cooking oil shortages. The AGO estimates that the damage incurred by the State includes direct financial losses, illicit gains, and macroeconomic disruption totaling Rp11.88 trillion.
The funds were seized by prosecutors with Court approval and deposited in an escrow account under the Office of Junior Attorney General for Special Crimes at Bank Mandiri.
Despite the return of funds, the legal status of the case remains uncertain. In a surprising ruling, the Jakarta Corruption Court acquitted the five companies in early 2025, prompting the AGO to file a cassation appeal with the Supreme Court.
Sutikno confirmed that the funds returned have been included in the AGO’s cassation memorandum and are being submitted as evidence for consideration by the Supreme Court.
“We request that the court take into account this restitution and allocate the funds as compensation for the state’s financial losses,” he said.
The case also implicates two other palm oil conglomerates PT Permata Hijau Group and PT Musim Mas Group, which were found guilty of similar misconduct, according to records from the Supreme Court's online case directory.
The AGO has welcomed the voluntary return of the funds as a positive gesture of corporate accountability. AGO spokesman, Harli Siregar, emphasized that although the legal proceedings are not yet final, the returned funds have been seized lawfully.
“This reflects a form of good faith and cooperation from the corporations involved. We hope this sets a precedence for other companies currently under legal scrutiny to take similar steps,” Harli said.
He added that such cooperation could potentially reduce future litigation or penalty burdens, depending on the final ruling from the Supreme Court.
Breakdown of returned funds:
- PT Multimas Nabati Asahan Rp3.99 trillion (US$256 million)
- PT Multi Nabati Sulawesi Rp39.75 billion (US$2.44 million)
- PT Sinar Alam Permai Rp483.96 billion (US$29.7 million)
- PT Wilmar Bioenergi Indonesia Rp57.3 billion (US$3.52 million)
- PT Wilmar Nabati Indonesia Rp7.3 trillion (US$448 million)
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