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Ex-minister’s arrest sparks more questions than answers

Yerica Lai (The Jakarta Post)
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Jakarta
Thu, October 31, 2024

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Ex-minister’s arrest sparks more questions than answers Former trade minister Thomas Lembong (center) wears a detainee jacket after the Attorney General's Office (AGO) named him a suspect in a corruption case on Oct. 29. Thomas, who campaigned on behalf of the Anies Baswedan-Muhaimin Iskandar ticket in February's presidential election, has been accused of embezzling state funds of Rp 400 billion (US$25.39 million) in connection with sugar imports during his time in office from 2015 to 2016. (Antara/Rivan Awal Lingga)
Versi Bahasa Indonesia

T

he arrest of former trade minister Thomas Lembong for offenses he allegedly committed nearly a decade ago has raised a number of questions, including suggestions the investigation could have deep political underpinnings.

On Tuesday, Thomas was named a suspect and arrested by the Attorney General Office (AGO) for his alleged role in a corruption case related to sugar imports managed by the Trade Ministry from 2015 to 2016, while he was minister under former president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.

The case centers on a permit Thomas issued in 2015 for private company PT Angel Product to import 105,000 tonnes of raw sugar, a commodity that would later be processed into white sugar for household consumption, despite a ministerial regulation allowing only state-owned enterprises (SOEs) to import raw sugar.

In 2016, Thomas allegedly also ordered state trading firm PT Perusahaan Perdagangan Indonesia (PPI) to work with private sugar producers to import another 300,000 tonnes of raw sugar to help meet national demand and to stabilize the commodity’s domestic price.

The AGO said his policies had led to Rp 400 billion (US$25.43 million) in state losses, an estimate the investigators based on the profit pocketed by eight private companies, including Angel Product, that should have gone into PPI’s coffers.

Thomas has been charged under Articles 2 and 3 of the Corruption Eradication Law. Article 2 governs unlawful acts for personal enrichment that cause state losses or hurt the national economy, while Article 3 deals with abuses of power.

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The AGO has also named another suspect in the case: former PPI business development director Charles Sitorus.

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