Three judges who cleared palm oil giants of corruption charges related to export permits have been arrested, Indonesian officials said Monday. The arrests follow the earlier detention of the South Jakarta district court’s chief judge in connection with the same case.
Last month, a local court acquitted Wilmar Group, Musim Mas Group, and Permata Hijau Group—based in North Sumatra—of allegations tied to the improper acquisition of export permits in 2022.
The three judges responsible for that ruling were taken into custody on Sunday night, Attorney General’s Office spokesperson Harli Siregar confirmed in a text to Reuters.
On Saturday, prosecutors arrested Muhammad Arif Nuryanta, the chief judge of the South Jakarta district court, who allegedly received a bribe of 60 billion rupiah (approximately $3.8 million) to influence the ruling, according to Siregar. He stated that two company lawyers were involved in arranging the payment, and around $1.07 million was allegedly distributed to the three presiding judges.
“The bribe was intended to ensure the judges ruled the actions were not criminal,” Siregar said. A court clerk and the two lawyers have also been arrested, he added.
Reuters was unable to contact the judges or their legal representatives for comment.
Siregar noted that the Attorney General’s Office has filed an appeal against the March acquittal.
Wilmar Group, Musim Mas Group, and Permata Hijau Group did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Although Nuryanta was not directly involved in the case hearings, he served as the court’s deputy chief at the time of the verdict.
Indonesia, which produces around 60% of the world’s palm oil, introduced strict export controls in 2022—including a three-week export ban—to address surging domestic cooking oil prices.
Prosecutors initially sought penalties and restitution from the companies amounting to as much as 11 trillion rupiah.
