Jakarta –
Former Minister of Trade (Minister of Trade) M Lutfi will be examined by the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) tomorrow. M Lutfi is said to be investigated regarding cases of exporting crude palm oil (CPO) or cooking oil raw materials.
“That’s right (M Lutfi will be investigated regarding the cooking oil case, ed),” said the Director of Investigation (Dirdik) at the Jampidsus AGO Supardi to detikcom, Tuesday (21/6/2022).
M Lutfi will be checked tomorrow, Wednesday (22/6/2022). Supardi said that M Luthfi would be examined as a witness.
“Yes, witness,” he said.
Scarcity of Cooking Oil
The beginning of this case was known at the end of 2021 when there was a shortage and an increase in cooking oil prices in the market. During this scarcity, the government through the Ministry of Trade adopted a policy of setting a domestic market obligation (DMO) and the highest retail price. However, in practice, cooking oil export companies do not implement the government’s policy.
“So the government through the Ministry of Trade has taken a policy to set DMO and DPO (domestic price obligation) for companies that want to export CPO and its derivative products and set the highest retail price (HET) for palm cooking oil,” said Attorney General ST Burhanuddin.
“However, in practice, exporting companies do not meet the DPO, but still get export approval from the government,” he added.
After conducting an investigation, the Attorney General’s Office arrested the suspects. It is known that a total of 5 people have been named suspects in the cooking oil case, namely:
1. Indrasari Wisnu Wardhana as Director General of Foreign Trade of the Ministry of Trade (Dirjen Daglu, Ministry of Trade)
2. Master Parulian Tumanggor as Commissioner of PT Wilmar Nabati Indonesia
3. Stanley MA as Senior Manager Corporate Affairs for Permata Hijau Group (PHG)
4. Picare Tagore Sitanggang as General Manager at PT Musim Mas General Affair Division; and
5. Lin Che Wei as private.
Burhanuddin assess their actions have caused a loss to the state. Not only that, they also cause rare cooking oil.
“The actions of the suspects resulted in state economic losses (resulting in the expensiveness and scarcity of cooking oil, resulting in a decrease in household consumption and small industries that use cooking oil and complicate people’s lives),” explained Burhanuddin.
See also ‘Judge Rejects MAKI Pretrial Against the Minister of Trade on Cooking Oil’:
(mae / dhn)
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