Chronology Of Tom Lembong Sugar Import Corruption, Investigated Since 2023

Former Minister of Trade in 2015-2016 Tom Lembong at the AGO Building, Tuesday 29 October 2024 (ANTARA)

The Attorney General's Office (AGO) said the alleged sugar import case at the Ministry of Trade in 2015-2016 that ensnared Thomas Trikasih Lembong (TTL) or who is familiarly called Tom Lembong had been investigated since 2023.

"The investigation into this case has been going on for a long time, since October 2023," said Director of Investigation (Dirdik) of the Deputy Attorney General for Special Crimes (Jampidsus) at the AGO Abdul Qohar to reporters Tuesday, October 29.

Qohar said that his party did not immediately determine Tom Lembong as a suspect in the case. According to him, the determination of the suspect is determined based on the adequacy of the evidence and expert testimony.

"It took a long time because this case was not an ordinary matter. It was not a simple matter," he said.

Qohar also denied having politicized the case. He stressed there is sufficient evidence to ensnare Tom Lembong as a suspect.

"No exception, whoever did it, when sufficient evidence is found, investigators will definitely determine the person concerned as a suspect," he said.

Previously, Abdul Qohar said Tom Lembong played a role in granting permits to import raw crystal sugar to white crystal sugar when prices soared.

"In fact, it should be those who have the right to import sugar for domestic needs are SOEs appointed by the minister of trade. Even that, white crystal sugar is not raw crystal sugar," he said.

The import agreement that Tom Lembong has issued did not go through a coordination meeting with related agencies and without any recommendations from ministries to find out the real needs of sugar in the country.

Qohar said that according to the regulation of the Minister of Trade and Industry Number 57 of 2004, only state-owned enterprises (BUMN) are allowed to import white crystal sugar.

Then on December 28, 2015, a coordination meeting was held in the economic sector. One of the discussions was that Indonesia in 2016 was predicted to lack 200,000 tons of white crystal sugar.

In order to stabilize the price of sugar and fulfill the national sugar stock, from November to December 2015, CS as Director of Business Development of PT Perusahaan Trade Indonesia (PPI) ordered its subordinates to hold meetings with eight private companies engaged in the sugar sector, namely PT PDSU, PT AF, PT AP, PT MT, PT BMM, PT SUJ, PT DSI, and PT MSI.

The eight companies manage raw crystal sugar into white crystal sugar, even though the company only has a refined sugar management permit.

Supposedly in order to fulfill stock and stabilize prices, the sugar imported is crystal white sugar directly and the company that can import is only SOEs. However, the sugar imported is raw crystal sugar.

Tom Lembong was detained for the next 20 days after being named a suspect in the case. "TTL is being held at the Salemba detention center at the South Jakarta District Attorney branch," he told reporters.