Jakarta,- Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs (Menko Polhukam) Mahfud MD respects the verdict of the Central Jakarta District Court against Surya Darmadi. According to Mahfud, the 15-year prison sentence is very appropriate for the corruption case committed by Surya Darmadi alias Apeng.
Surya is a suspect in the alleged land seizure of 37,095 hectares of oil palm plantation in Indragiri Hulu Regency, Riau. Surya’s plantation company, Duta Palma Group, cultivated the land without permission from 2003 to 2022.
This corruption case is said to be the largest in Indonesia’s history. This is because the state losses incurred amount to Rp 100 trillion.
Chronology of the Case
This case began when the Regent of Indragiri Hulu from 1999 to 2008, Raja Thamsir Rachman, issued location permits and plantation business permits (IUP) to four companies of the PT Duta Palma Group. The four companies were PT Banyu Bening Utama in 2003, and PT Panca Argo Lestari, PT Palma Satu, and PT Sebrida Subur in 2007.
The permits were issued for land in forest areas, namely in convertible production forests (HPK), other use forests (HPL), and limited production forests (HPT) in Indragiri Hulu Regency. However, the completeness of the location and plantation business permits was created unlawfully without the principal permit, with the aim of obtaining forest area release permits.
Until now, PT Duta Palma Group does not have a forest area release permit or HGU. Not only that, PT Duta Palma Group has also never fulfilled the legal obligation to provide a partnership scheme of 20 percent of the total area of the managed plantation.
Meanwhile, former King Thamsir Rachman was sentenced to 10 years in prison with an obligation to pay a fine of Rp 1 billion, with a subsidiary of six months in prison.
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