Jakarta, Indonesia: Former trade minister Thomas Trikasih Lembong, widely known as Tom Lembong, was sentenced to four years and six months in prison on Friday after being found guilty in a corruption case related to sugar imports.
The Jakarta Corruption Court also ordered Lembong to pay a fine of Rp750 million. If the fine is not paid, he will face an additional six months in prison.
“After reviewing the facts, the court finds the defendant, Tom Lembong, guilty of corruption carried out with others,” said presiding judge Dennie Arsan Fatrika during the verdict announcement.
According to the court, Lembong’s actions led to state losses amounting to Rp194.72 billion.
In delivering the verdict, the panel of judges noted several aggravating factors. They said that in shaping sugar import policies, Lembong was more focused on serving business interests than considering democratic values or the country’s foundational economic principles.
The court also said that Lembong did not uphold legal certainty in his role and failed to ensure stable and affordable sugar prices for the public.
Additionally, the court found that he neglected the public interest, especially the needs of consumers who rely on fair sugar prices.
However, the judges also acknowledged some mitigating factors in Lembong’s favor. He had no prior criminal record, did not benefit personally from the corruption, cooperated during the trial, and behaved respectfully throughout the proceedings.
The charges stem from Lembong’s decision to issue raw sugar import permits to 10 companies in 2015 and 2016 without proper coordination with other ministries or seeking input from the Ministry of Industry. This move allegedly caused the state financial losses of Rp578.1 billion.
