Attorney General's Office probes suspected CPO export price manipulation using Finance Ministry data

The Attorney General’s Office (Kejagung) is investigating suspected manipulation of crude palm oil (CPO) export pricing through transfer pricing and under invoicing practices. The probe has been underway for approximately one month, according to Syarief Sulaeman Nahdi, director of the Special Crimes Investigative unit (Jampidsus). He stated that data provided by Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa supplements existing evidence held by investigators. ‘We are currently investigating the manipulation or transfer pricing case. It’s been about a month. The Finance Ministry’s data supplements our existing information,’ he said at the Attorney General’s Office in Jakarta on Monday evening (25 May 2026). However, he did not specify which companies are being investigated. When questioned about the number of witnesses interviewed, Syarief only confirmed that several parties have been questioned. ‘Yes, a few. We will announce details later,’ he said. The office also indicated the possibility of expanding the probe to other sectors if similar indicators are found. ‘Yes, possible,’ he said when asked if the investigation could extend to companies in other industries. Previously, Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa disclosed that his ministry had gathered data on 10 large CPO companies suspected of manipulating export prices via under invoicing. He explained that the Finance Ministry conducted investigations on three randomly selected shipments per company. The findings revealed significant discrepancies between Indonesia’s export values and the import values recorded in destination countries, particularly the United States. ‘For example, export prices in Indonesia are a quarter or a third of the values recorded in the US,’ he said. He stated that such practices artificially reduce reported domestic earnings, directly affecting state revenues.