Why is Tom Lembong a Defendant in the Sugar Import Corruption Case?

What is the content of Tom Lembong's indictment?

Former Minister of Trade Thomas Trikasih Lembong, also known as Tom Lembong, has been charged with enriching others, resulting in state losses amounting to Rp 515.4 billion.

The man, who also once served as the Head of the Investment Coordinating Board, was reported to have issued 21 import approval letters for raw crystal sugar, which was processed into white crystal sugar, to companies that were not entitled to them, namely private companies producing refined sugar.

The charges against Tom Lembong were read alternately by the public prosecutor team led by Sigit Sambodo during the inaugural trial at the Corruption Court of the Central Jakarta District Court, Jakarta, Thursday (6/3/2025). The trial was presided over by Chief Judge Dennie Arsan Fatrika, accompanied by Purwanto S. Abdullah and Ali Muhtarom as associate judges.

The public prosecutor revealed that Tom Lembong had committed or participated in unlawful acts together with the Director of Business Development of PT Perusahaan Perdagangan Indonesia, Charles Sitorus. Tom was charged with acts of enriching himself, others, or a corporation. There are 10 individuals mentioned as having benefited in the case of alleged corruption involving sugar importation.

How does Tom Lembong defend himself from the prosecutor's accusations?

Upon hearing the indictment letter from the public prosecutor, Tom Lembong stated that he understood. Tom immediately contested the prosecutor's charges by submitting an objection note as soon as the indictment was read. The objection note was presented by Tom Lembong's legal advisory team.

According to Tom Lembong's legal counsel, Ari Yusuf Amir, the Minister of Trade for the 2015-2016 period considers the indictment letter from the public prosecutor to be incomplete, inaccurate, and unclear (obscuur libel).

Before the defense in court, several measures had been taken by Tom Lembong to defend himself since he was detained by investigators from the Attorney General's Office at the end of October 2024. One of these measures was filing a pretrial motion regarding his suspect status at the South Jakarta District Court. However, the judge rejected Tom's pretrial motion.

Apart from that, he also repeatedly explained this to the public through open letters that he wrote from prison.

Why was former 2024 presidential candidate Anies Baswedan present in person at Tom Lembong's first trial?

The Governor of Jakarta for the 2017-2022 term, who is also a presidential candidate in the 2024 election, 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 or Tom Lembong, at the Jakarta Corruption Court, Thursday (6/3/2025).

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.

Anies said he came as a friend of Tom Lembong and wanted to witness the trial process firsthand. He respects the legal process that is currently ensnaring Tom Lembong.

"I came as a friend of Mr. Tom Lembong, I came to witness the ongoing trial process and I came to convey my hopes," said Anies.

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

What speculations emerged when the Attorney General's Office investigated the Tom Lembong case?

In a working meeting with the Attorney General on Wednesday (11/13/2024), several members of Commission III of the DPR questioned the sugar import case that named former Minister of Trade Tom Lembong as a suspect. For example, a member of Commission III of the DPR from the Prosperous Justice Party faction, Nasir Djamil, was of the view that in the case with suspect Tom Lembong, various public speculations arose because there were many trade ministers who also imported sugar along with various meeting forums to decide on imports.

It is feared that it will damage the image of President Prabowo Subianto who wants to enforce the law as fairly as possible. "Well, why then (Tom Lembong) was summoned, then made a suspect. And that raises public speculation," he said.

However, Attorney General ST Burhanuddin dismissed the speculation. He stated that his party had no political intentions at all, but only legal, in handling the sugar import case that ensnared Tom Lembong. According to Burhanuddin, determining someone as a suspect is not easy because it requires rigid stages.

"And it is impossible for us to determine someone as a suspect, this would violate human rights. We must be careful. Later Jampidsus will convey what and why," said Burhanuddin.

Why were other former trade ministers asked to be questioned?

The Prosecutor's Commission asked investigators from the Attorney General's Office to examine those who had served as trade ministers other than Tom Lembong. This is in accordance with the investigation warrant for the alleged corruption case of sugar imports in the 2015-2023 period.

Tom served as Minister of Trade between August 2015 and July 2016. After Tom, the position of Minister of Trade was filled by Enggartiasto Lukita in 2016-2019; Agus Suparmanto in 2019-2020; Muhammad Lutfi in 2020-2022; and Zulkifli Hasan in 2022-2024.

According to the Head of the Prosecutor's Commission Pujiyono Suwandi, the determination of Tom as a suspect is expected to be the beginning for the AGO to open up the issue of sugar imports that have been happening so far. From the development of the case, law enforcement can use it as a starting point to improve sugar import activities in Indonesia.

"(From) Tom Lembong, we hope to be able to open the dark Pandora's box of the trade system in sugar imports," said Pujiyono.