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Thomas Lembong strikes defiant tone in first corruption hearing
The former trade minister's lawyers called the indictment “unclear, imprecise and incomplete”.
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Former trade minister and graft defendant Thomas Lembong (center) arrives at the Jakarta Corruption Court in Central Jakarta on March 6, 2025, ahead of his arraignment. Prosecutors accused Thomas of enriching himself and at least 10 others by manipulating sugar import policies in 2015 and 2016. (Antara Foto/Rivan Awal Lingga)
F
ormer trade minister Thomas Lembong objected to prosecutors’ charges against him at his arraignment on Thursday in a corruption case pertaining to sugar imports in 2015 and 2016.
At the hearing at the Jakarta Corruption Court, Attorney General’s Office (AGO) prosecutors accused Thomas of manipulating raw sugar import policies to enrich himself and at least 10 others, most of whom were representatives of sugar companies.
Prosecutors said Thomas, while serving as trade minister from 2015 to 2016 under then-president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, had issued import permits without seeking approval at ministerial coordination meetings or obtaining recommendations from related institutions.
The prosecutors said Thomas’ policies had caused state losses of some Rp 578 trillion (US$35 billion).
After hearing the charges, Thomas told the bench, “We want to file an objection today”, which was met with applause and cheers in the packed Central Jakarta courtroom.
The panel of judges, presided over by Judge Dennie Arsan Fatrika, approved the request, saying that reading the objection that day would expedite the trial.
One of Thomas’ lawyers, Ari Yusuf Amir, argued that the indictment was invalid as it contradicted provisions in the 2001 Anticorruption Law. He said the issuance of import permits, which were intended to stabilize domestic sugar prices, fell within Thomas’ ministerial authority under the State Ministry Law and did not constitute a criminal offense.
