JAKARTA: Prosecutors have demanded a seven-year prison sentence for former trade minister Thomas Lembong for his alleged role in a corruption case pertaining to raw sugar imports.
In addition to the prison term, Attorney General’s Office (AGO) prosecutors also urged the panel of judges at the Jakarta Corruption Court to slap the defendant with a Rp 750 million (US$46,236) fine, as reported by Antara.
The former minister is standing trial in a corruption case pertaining to sugar imports during his term as a trade minister between 2015 and 2016.
He was accused of manipulating raw sugar import policies to enrich himself and at least 10 other individuals, most of whom were representatives of sugar companies.
In the indictment letter, prosecutors alleged that Thomas had issued import permits without seeking approval at ministerial coordination meetings or obtaining recommendations from related institutions.
His policies had allegedly caused state losses of some Rp 578 trillion.
At the first hearing in March, Thomas and his legal team objected to the prosecutor’s accusations, arguing that the indictment was invalid for contradicting provisions in the 2001 Anticorruption Law.
They also argued that the issuance of import permits, which were intended to stabilise domestic sugar prices, fell within Thomas’ ministerial authority under the State Ministry Law and did not constitute a criminal offence.
Calling the indictment “unclear, imprecise and incomplete”, Thomas’s lawyers requested that their client be released from detention and cleared of any charges.
The judge later rejected the request, allowing the trial to continue.
Thomas’ last position in the administration of former president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo was as head of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM).
After leaving office in 2019, he became a staunch government critic and served as a campaigner for presidential candidate Anies Baswedan during the 2024 presidential election.
The AGO named Thomas a suspect in the case on Oct 29, more than a week after Jokowi stepped down from office and was succeeded by President Prabowo Subianto.
Also named a suspect in the case was Charles Sitorus, former business development director of state trading firm PT Perusahaan Perdagangan Indonesia.
In a separate hearing on Friday (July 4), AGO prosecutors demanded that the bench declare Charles guilty in the case and sentence him to four years in prison and a Rp 750 million fine. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
