Prabowo Witnesses Rp13 Trillion Palm Oil Graft Recovery, Says Funds Could Build 8,000 Schools
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JAKARTA, Investortrust.id — President Prabowo Subianto witnesses the handover of Rp13 trillion in state losses recovered from a major palm oil corruption case, calling it a milestone in Indonesia’s fight against graft and a source of new hope for public welfare projects.
The funds were formally handed by Attorney General ST Burhanuddin to Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa at the Attorney General’s Office in Jakarta on Monday, Oct 20, 2025, with President Prabowo present to observe the process. The recovered amount, valued at Rp13.255 trillion or roughly $810 million, stemmed from a landmark Supreme Court ruling that overturned previous acquittals in the crude palm oil export fraud case.
Arriving at the Attorney General’s compound around 10:50 a.m. wearing a cream safari uniform, President Prabowo was greeted by senior officials including Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, Head of the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency Muhammad Yusuf Ateh, Armed Forces Commander General Agus Subiyanto, Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant General Richard Tampubolon, and Deputy Attorney General for Special Crimes Febrie Adriansyah.
Inside the main hall, Prabowo observed stacks of cash worth around Rp2 trillion — part of the total recovered assets — before the symbolic handover took place. The Attorney General officially delivered the recovery certificate to Finance Minister Purbaya in front of the assembled cabinet members and state officials.
Speaking after the ceremony, President Prabowo emphasized that the Rp13 trillion recovery represented more than just legal success; it symbolized a chance to restore justice and channel the money toward public welfare.
“If used well, this amount could finance the renovation and construction of more than 8,000 schools across Indonesia,” Prabowo said. “It could also fund the building of modern fishing villages — something that in 80 years of our independence we have never truly taken care of.”
The President explained that his administration plans to build 1,100 fishing villages by the end of 2026, of which 600 could be realized using the recovered funds. “If one fishing village costs about Rp22 billion, equipped with modern facilities, each could accommodate around 2,000 families — about 5,000 people. That means 600 fishing villages could uplift the lives of roughly five million citizens,” he said.
Prabowo also condemned the palm oil export corruption scheme as a form of “economic subversion,” noting its devastating effect on ordinary Indonesians during the 2022 cooking oil shortage.
“People were left struggling to find cooking oil for weeks,” he said. “This was not only greed — it was cruel and inhumane. Whether this was pure corruption or economic sabotage, it harmed our nation deeply.”
The President commended the Attorney General’s Office for executing the Supreme Court’s cassation ruling, which annulled the earlier acquittal of three major corporations — PT Permata Hijau Group, PT Wilmar Group, and PT Musim Mas Group. The court decision reaffirmed the state’s right to recover the embezzled funds, marking one of Indonesia’s largest corruption restitutions on record.
Attorney General Burhanuddin confirmed that the entire legal process was conducted in accordance with Indonesian law and that the recovered funds have now been transferred to the state treasury. The Rp13.2 trillion recovery, he said, stands as a “historic victory” in the country’s anti-corruption efforts.
Finance Minister Purbaya added that the money would be integrated into national programs aimed at improving education and rural infrastructure.
President Prabowo closed his remarks by stressing that Indonesia’s battle against corruption is far from over. “I remind everyone — our work is not done. There are still illegal mining operations and other leakages causing tens or even hundreds of trillions in state losses. We must recover those as well,” he said.