Helena Lim, a defendant in a corruption case involving the management of tin, spoke about the high price of popularity during her personal defense in the Central Jakarta Corruption Court on Thursday (12/12/2024). The case had caused her once “crazy rich” title to crumble.
Helena expressed a mix of happiness and realization regarding the recognition she received from society, which transformed into the widespread popularity of being Helena Lim. She stated that every sacrifice she made since she was a teenager seemed to have paid off. However, she also highlighted the exorbitant cost of this popularity, paying with her self-esteem, integrity, and the honesty instilled in her since childhood by her parents.
Quoting the Bible, specifically Colossians 2:8-9, Helena claimed she never intended to profit unlawfully from her business ventures, vehemently denying the investigator’s allegations. She found the 8-year prison sentence, a fine of Rp 1 billion, and a compensatory sum of Rp 210 billion proposed by the prosecutors to be unfair and cruel.
Helena contested the prosecutors’ estimation of Rp 420 billion for the total transactions through her money changer business, PT Quantum Skyline Exchange (PT QSE), involving private smelters as coerced and unsupported by tangible evidence in the court. She insisted that all foreign exchange transactions were legitimate and accepted by the smelters, rejecting the accusations of being a coordinator for illicit fund collection.
Despite admitting to administrative oversights in PT QSE’s operations, Helena felt unjustly targeted by the prosecutors, especially regarding allegations of aiding corrupt practices and money laundering. She pleaded for a fair verdict, expressing concerns about the risk of losing her assets accumulated over 30 years of hard work.
Helena also apologized to her children and parents for their involvement in the case, urging the judges to consider her plea for a more reasonable sentence, as she claimed inability to pay the demanded compensatory amount.
Prior to her defense, the prosecutors had charged Helena Lim with violations of Corruption Law and Money Laundering Law, believing she had breached several articles, as indicated in the demands for an 8-year imprisonment, fines, and compensatory payments.
Di ICMI, Ketua MPR Menegaskan Pentingnya Prabowo untuk Menjaga Persatuan dan Kesatuan