PALMOILMAGAZINE, SINGAPORE — In response to media reports about the arrest of judges involved in a case of alleged corruption in palm oil export permits, Wilmar Group has asserted that it is not involved in the legal process and is ready to assist if needed in any further investigations.
Earlier, Indonesian authorities were reported to have arrested several judges who had acquitted three palm oil companies—Wilmar Group, Musim Mas Group, and Permata Hijau Group—of corruption charges related to export permit acquisition in 2022. The acquittal was handed down last month.
“We understand from media reports that Indonesian authorities have arrested several judges who cleared the three palm oil companies of corruption allegations related to export permits. However, to the best of our knowledge, Wilmar Group and its employees are not involved in the investigation at this time,” said Wilmar International Limited in an official statement to Palmoilmagazine.com on Thursday, April 17, 2025.
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Wilmar also expressed its commitment to cooperate. “We will assist in the investigation if requested by the relevant authorities,” the statement continued.
Regarding the allegations made against the company in 2022, Wilmar emphasized that its actions in obtaining export permits were aimed at helping the government increase palm oil supply in the domestic market and lower prices, despite incurring additional costs.
“We firmly believe we are not guilty of the charges. Our actions were solely intended to support the government’s efforts to stabilize the supply and price of cooking oil domestically,” Wilmar stated.
The Singapore-based company also reaffirmed its commitment to transparent and ethical governance. “Wilmar Group has a zero-tolerance policy for any form of corruption,” the statement concluded.
The Indonesian government is intensifying efforts to enforce the law in the palm oil sector, including investigating potential irregularities in export permit issuance and cartel practices. The investigation into the law enforcement officers handling these cases is part of the government’s broader initiative to improve governance in the palm oil industry. (P2)
