The Attorney General's Office Examines The Director Of PT Berkah Manis Makmur In The Tom Lembong Sugar Import Corruption Case

Kapuspenkum AGO, Harli Siregar At The AGO Building, Jakarta, Thursday 19 July 2024 (Rizky AP/VOI)

The Attorney General's Office (AGO) continues to examine witnesses in handling cases of alleged corruption in sugar imports with the suspect former Minister of Trade (Mendag) Thomas Trikasih Lembong alias Tom Lembong. Most recently, investigators examined one witness, namely the Director of PT Berkah Manis Makmur.

"The witness being examined has the initials HG as Director of PT Berkah Manis Makmur," said Head of the AGO, Harli Siregar, to reporters, Thursday, December 12.

However, the examination material was not conveyed in detail. There are only a few things mentioned, one of which is that the process of taking information takes place on Wednesday, December 11.

In addition, a series of examinations that have been carried out so far are solely to strengthen the evidence and complete the filing in the alleged corruption case.

"Investigating cases of alleged corruption in sugar importation activities at the Ministry of Trade from 2015 to 2016 on behalf of the TTL suspect," he said.

So far, more than a hundred witnesses have been questioned. The number will continue to grow as the investigation process progresses.

"There are 126 witnesses who have been examined," said Harli.

Tom Lembong, who served as Minister of Trade in the 2015-2016 period, was named a suspect for granting a sugar import permit of 105 thousand tons to private companies, which violated the Decree of the Minister of Trade Number 527 of 2004.

Because, in this regulation, only state-owned companies are allowed to import sugar.

Thus, Tom Lembong was charged with Article 2 Paragraph 1 or Article 3 Juncto Article 18 of the Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 31 of 1999 concerning Corruption Crime in conjunction with Article 55 Paragraph 1 of the 1st Criminal Procedure Code.