Anies Baswedan Admits He Is Very Disappointed With Tom Lembong's Verdict

DKI Jakarta Governor for the 2017 period, Anies Baswedan (third from the left) while witnessing the trial of the Tom Lembong case at the Jakarta Corruption Court, Friday (18/7/2025). ANTARA/Agatha Olivia Victoria

JAKARTA - DKI Jakarta Governor for the 2017-2022 period Anies Baswedan admitted that he was very disappointed with the verdict of the panel of judges against the 2015-2016 Minister of Trade Thomas Trikasih Lembong (Tom Lembong) in the alleged corruption case of sugar importation.

According to him, all parties who take part in the trial process of the case with common sense will definitely be disappointed.

"If this case is clear, with people like Tom Lembong it can be criminalized, what about millions of our other citizens?" Anies said when met after the trial for reading the verdict of the panel of judges at the Jakarta Corruption Court (Tipikor), Friday, July 18.

Therefore, he will fully support whatever steps Tom Lembong will take to seek justice.

In addition, he asked the holders of power to seriously pay attention to and fix the law in Indonesia.

"If our trust in the legal and judicial system collapses, then this country will actually collapse," he said.

In the case of corruption in sugar importation at the Ministry of Trade in 2015-2016, Tom Lembong was sentenced to four years and six months in prison after being found guilty of committing a criminal act of corruption, which cost the state finances Rp194.72 billion.

Tom Lembong's corruption crimes include issuing submission letters or approval of imports of raw crystal sugar for the 2015'2016 period to 10 companies without being based on inter-ministerial coordination meetings and without recommendations from the Ministry of Industry.

For his actions, Tom Lembong was also sentenced to a fine of Rp. 750 million, provided that if he was not paid, he would be replaced (subsidiary) with imprisonment for six months.

Thus, Tom Lembong's actions have violated Article 2 paragraph (1) of Law Number 31 of 1999 concerning the Eradication of Criminal Acts of Corruption as amended and supplemented by Law Number 20 of 2001 in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph (1) of the 1st Criminal Code.

The verdict handed down by the Panel of Judges is lower than the prosecutor's demand, which is a prison sentence of 7 years. However, the fine imposed remains the same as the demand, which is Rp. 750 million, subsidiary to imprisonment for six months.