Cooking Oil Bribery Case: Marcella Santoso and Co-Defendants Face Sentencing Hearing
Jakarta — The sentencing hearing for four defendants in the alleged bribery-for-acquittal case linked to the cooking oil (migor) scandal resumed at the Central Jakarta District Court on Wednesday, 18 February 2026.
The defendants — Marcella Santoso, Ariyanto Bakri, Junaedi Saibih, and M. Syafei — attended the hearing in succession from the afternoon into the evening as prosecutors read out their demands.
Prosecution’s Demands Against Marcella Santoso
The public prosecution team demanded that Marcella Santoso receive a sentence of 17 years’ imprisonment on charges of bribing judges and money laundering (TPPU) connected to the cooking oil case.
In addition to imprisonment, the prosecution sought: - A fine of Rp 600 million, with 150 days’ imprisonment in lieu of non-payment - Restitution of Rp 21.602 billion, with eight years’ additional imprisonment if she lacks sufficient assets to pay - Permanent removal from her profession as a lawyer
Background to the Case
According to the prosecution’s submission, Marcella was found to have bribed a panel of judges at the Corruption Court (Tipikor) with approximately Rp 40 billion (around USD 2.5 million) to secure acquittals in a corruption case involving the issuance of crude palm oil (CPO) export permits — the raw material for cooking oil.
Marcella was charged alongside three co-defendants — Ariyanto Bakri, Junaedi Saibih, and M. Syafei — who represented the interests of the Wilmar Group, Permata Hijau Group, and Musim Mas Group respectively. The prosecution also charged Marcella, Ariyanto, and M. Syafei with money laundering offences.
The Bribery Chain
The bribe funds were allegedly channelled through Muhammad Arif Nuryanta, then Deputy Chief Justice of the Central Jakarta District Court, who received Rp 15.7 billion, and Wahyu Gunawan, a suspended junior registrar at the North Jakarta District Court, who received Rp 2.4 billion.
The funds were then distributed to the panel of judges handling the CPO corruption case: presiding judge Djuyamto received Rp 9.5 billion, whilst the two associate judges, Ali Muhtarom and Agam Syarif Baharudin, each received Rp 6.2 billion.
In exchange for the bribes, Djuyamto, Ali, and Agam delivered acquittal verdicts for the three corporations — Permata Hijau Group, Wilmar Group, and Musim Mas Group.
Money Laundering Charges
Marcella, together with Ariyanto and Syafei, was also charged with laundering Rp 28 billion allegedly derived from the rigged acquittal verdicts. Separately, Marcella and Ariyanto were charged with laundering an additional Rp 24.537 billion, which prosecutors described as their fee for arranging the judicial bribery.
Obstruction of Investigation
The Attorney General’s Office additionally named Marcella as a suspect in a case of obstructing the investigation. Prosecutors claimed to have found evidence that Marcella directed Junaedi to craft negative narratives about the Attorney General’s Office, which was at the time investigating several major cases. Marcella and Junaedi allegedly asked a third party to disseminate these narratives through the Jak TV media outlet.
Next Steps
The defendants were detained by the Attorney General’s Office on the evening of Saturday, 12 April 2025. Authorities seized various items of evidence from the suspects, including cash, case documents, motorcycles, bicycles, and several luxury vehicles.
The defence team is scheduled to present its rejoinder on 27 February, with the verdict hearing for Marcella Santoso set for 2 March.