Indonesia Arrests Three Judges in Palm Oil Bribery Case

The Attorney General's Office of Indonesia has apprehended three judges—Agam Syarif Baharuddin, Ali Muhtarom, and Djuyamto—on charges of accepting bribes to exonerate companies involved in a prominent illegal palm oil export scandal.

These judges are accused of receiving more than 22.5 billion rupiah (approximately $1.5 million) to provide favorable rulings for Wilmar Group, Permata Hijau Group, and Musim Mas Group, despite their participation in breaching a 2022 export prohibition.

With these arrests, the total number of individuals implicated in the case has risen to seven, which includes court officials and defense lawyers. The Attorney General's Office indicated that the scandal resulted in state losses amounting to $10.9 million during Indonesia's cooking oil crisis.