The nine sugar producers’ position in relation to these charges has always been that they were acting in accordance with a directive by the then Minister of Trade, Thomas Lembong, to partner state-owned trading company, Perusahaan Perdagangan Indonesia (Persero) to import raw sugar and distribute refined white sugar to address the domestic sugar shortage problem in Indonesia in 2016.
The general manager of Wilmar International’s Indonesian subsidiary Duta Sugar International (DSI) has been charged for carrying out “unlawful acts” relating to the import of raw sugar causing losses of IDR578 billion in 2016.
Duta Sugar International, along with eight other refined sugar producers in Indonesia, were charged by the Indonesian Public Prosecutor this October.
