Attending Tom Lembong's Indictment Hearing, Anies: I Came as a Friend

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – The Governor of DKI Jakarta for the 2017-2022 period, Anies Baswedan, attended the first trial of the defendant in the sugar import corruption case at the Ministry of Trade for the 2015-2016 period, Thomas Trikasih Lembong, also known as Tom Lembong, at the Jakarta Corruption Court, Thursday (6/3/2025). Tom Lembong was implicated in a case that the Attorney General's Office stated caused state losses amounting to Rp 578 billion.

Anies, wearing a dark blue shirt, arrived at the Jakarta Corruption Court (Tipikor) at around 9:19 AM WIB. Upon arrival, Anies immediately greeted Tom Lembong's wife, Ciska Wihardja.

The indictment reading session for Tom Lembong was presided over by Chief Justice Dennie Arsan Fatika, accompanied by Purwanto S. Abdullah and Ali Muhtarom as associate judges.

In addition to the charges against Tom, the Public Prosecutor will also present the indictment letter for the former Business Development Director of PT Perusahaan Perdagangan Indonesia, Charles Sitorus.

Anies stated that he came as a friend of Tom Lembong and wanted to witness the trial proceedings firsthand. He respects the legal process currently involving Tom Lembong.

"I came as a friend of Mr. Tom Lembong, I am here to witness the judicial process and to express my hopes," said Anies.

Anies hopes that the panel of judges will act objectively and prioritize truth, legal certainty and justice in deciding the case.

"Our hopes are high, we have great respect, and we trust that the panel of judges will be able to make a decision in line with the expectations we conveyed earlier. So, our purpose in being here today is that I want to personally attend and witness this process as it begins," said the former presidential candidate in the 2024 Presidential Election (Pilpres).

Tom Lembong was part of the National Team for the Victory of Anies Baswedan during the 2024 Presidential Election. The Minister of Trade for the 2015-2016 period was named a suspect on October 29, 2024. After being named a suspect, investigators immediately detained him and he remains in custody to this day.

Tom Lembong and Charles Sitorus are suspected of violating Article 2 Paragraph (1) and/or Article 3 in conjunction with Article 18 of Law Number 31 of 1999 concerning the Eradication of Criminal Acts of Corruption in conjunction with Article 55 Paragraph (1) Ke-1 of the Criminal Code.

In the case, Tom allegedly issued a letter of approval for the import of raw crystal sugar (GKM) for the period 2015-2016 to 9 private companies. The approval was given without being based on a coordination meeting between ministries and without being accompanied by a recommendation from the Ministry of Industry.

In relation to this, Tom is suspected of giving recognition to nine companies as importers of GKM producers to import GKM which will later be processed into white crystal sugar (GKP). In fact, Tom is said to know that the company does not have the right to process GKM into GKP because the company is a refined sugar company. Meanwhile, the processing of GKM into GKP is said to be carried out when domestic GKP production is sufficient.

Tom is also suspected of assigning PT Perusahaan Perdagangan Indonesia (PPI) to procure GKP by cooperating with refined sugar producers. Meanwhile, suspect Charles is suspected of having agreed with nine private sugar companies to regulate the selling price of sugar from producers to PT PPI and the selling price from PT PPI to distributors, which prices are set above the farmer's reference price (HPP).

The actions of both of them are suspected of violating the law because they have enriched other parties and have resulted in state financial losses of IDR 578 billion based on the BPKP State Financial Loss Calculation Audit Report.

In addition to Tom and Charles, the AGO also named 9 other suspects. They are administrators or management of sugar companies who were allegedly given permits by Tom Lembong as the Minister of Trade at that time to import GKM.

The nine suspects are Tonny Wijaya as President Director of PT Angels Product (PT AP); Wisnu Hendraningrat as President Director of PT Andalan Furnindo (PT AF); Hansen Setiawan as President Director of PT Sentra Usahatama Jaya (PT SUJ); and Indra Suryaningrat as President Director of PT Medan Sugar Industry (PT MSI).

Next, Then Surianto Eka Prasetyo as Director of PT Makassar Tene (PT MT); Hendrogianto Antonio Tiwon as Director of PT Duta Sugar International (PT DSI); Ali Sanjaya B as President Director of PT Kebun Tebu Mas (PT KTM); Hans Falita Hutama as President Director of PT Berkah Manis Makmur (PT BMM); and Eka Sapanca as Director of PT Permata Dunia Sukses Utama (PT PDSU).