AGO Affirms No Politicization Of Suspect Tom Lembong

Thomas Lembong/DOK ANTARA

The Attorney General's Office (AGO) confirmed that there was no politicization element in determining Tom Lembong as a suspect in the alleged corruption case of sugar importation activities for the 2015-2023 period at the Ministry of Trade (Kemendag).

Director of Investigation at Jampidsus AGO Abdul Qohar emphasized that investigators work based on evidence.

"No exception is the culprit. When sufficient evidence is found, the investigator will definitely determine the person concerned as a suspect," he said, Tuesday, October 29.

He emphasized that the investigation into the sugar importation case had been going on for quite a long time, namely since October 2023. For a year until now, investigators have examined 90 witnesses.

"Of course the investigation does not only stand there. We also ask for a calculation of state money losses. We also need experts, so it takes a long time because this case is not an ordinary case," he said.

The evidence that has been collected by his party is notes, documents, witness statements, and expert statements.

"We have got all of this (evidence). Who did it, what it contained," he said.

Tom Lembong was named a suspect in a case of alleged corruption in the 2015-2023 sugar importation activity at the Ministry of Trade (Kemendag).

Qohar explained that Tom Lembong's involvement in the case began when in 2015, in an inter-ministerial coordination meeting, it was concluded that Indonesia had a sugar surplus, so there was no need to import sugar.

However, in the same year, Tom Lembong as the Minister of Trade at that time gave PT AP a license to import raw crystal sugar.

"Brother TTL gave permission to import 105,000 tons of raw crystal sugar to PT AP, which then processed the raw crystal sugar into white crystal sugar," he said.

In fact, he said, based on the regulations, it was stated that those who were allowed to import white crystal sugar were State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN).

"But based on the import approval issued by the suspect TTL, the import of sugar was carried out by PT AP and the import of raw crystal sugar did not go through a coordination meeting or coordination meeting with related agencies and without any recommendations from the Ministry of Industry to find out the real needs of sugar in the country," he explained.

In that case, investigators also named one other suspect, namely the Director of Business Development of PT PPI with the initials CS.

Both are suspected of violating Article 2 Paragraph 1 or Article 3 Juncto Article 18 of Law Number 31 of 1999 as amended by Law Number 20 of 2021 jo. Law Number 31 of 1999 concerning amendments to Law Number 31 of 1999 concerning criminal acts of corruption jo. Article 55 Paragraph 1 1 of the Criminal Code.

Both of them were detained at the Salemba Rutan, the Attorney General's Office for the next 20 days.