TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Oil palm businessman Darius Lungguk Sitorus or DL Sitorus, has died on board Garuda plane yesterday, August 3, at Soekarno-Hatta Airport, Banten.
“Yes, DL Sitorus died at 13:35 pm before taking off. He was about to attend a church event near one of his plantations but fate says otherwise,” said Jasudin Panjaitan, a relative of Sitorus.
Sitorus had been suffering from illness in the last three years, Jasudin said. He always brought an oxygen tube and used a wheelchair.
“He suffered from heart disease and respiratory problems. Even with his illness, Sitorus continued to monitor his businesses including oil palm plantations, people’s credit bank, schools and other businesses,” Jasudin said.
The businessman may be buried in his place of birth in North Sumatra.
DL Sitorus was known as a hard worker. He served a jail sentence for forest encroachment and establishment of 42,000 hectares of land in Padang Lawas, North Sumatra, but he managed to continue to expand his oil palm business event to Sulawesi Island.
SAHAT SIMATUPANG