Indonesia court jails former trade minister for 4.5 years in sugar graft case, Reuters

By Reuters, Reporting by Ananda Teresia and Stanley Widianto, July 18, 2025

JAKARTA, July 18 (Reuters) – An Indonesian court on Friday sentenced a former trade minister to four and a half years in jail for improperly granting sugar import permits that authorities said had caused nearly 600 billion rupiah ($36.84 million) in state losses.

Joko Widodo Trade Minister

Thomas Trikasih Lembong served as trade minister in 2015 and 2016 under President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo. Once seen as Jokowi’s close aide, Lembong turned into one of the government’s staunchest critics after leaving office.

Judges at the corruption court in the capital Jakarta said Lembong, as minister, was guilty of improperly granting import permits for sugar to private companies when the Southeast Asian country had a surplus of sugar.

Indonesia’s sugar output in 2015 was 2.49 million metric tons, while consumption was 2.12 million.

Opposition Campaign Manager

In last year’s presidential election, Lembong was the campaign manager for candidate Anies Baswedan. The election was won in a landslide by Prabowo Subianto, whom Jokowi backed.

Lembong, who was arrested days after Prabowo’s inauguration last year, had claimed in court that his prosecution was due to his involvement in the opposition camp, local media reported.

Arrest Not Politically Motivated

Prosecutors had denied his arrest was politically motivated.

Jeers From Public Gallery

“The defendant was proven … to be guilty of having committed a corruption act,” Judge Purwanto S. Abdullah said, to jeers from the crowd.

Before handing the sentence, the judges had argued the import permits did not go through the proper procedures of consulting with other state bodies and that he had prioritised “capitalistic” interests over social justice.

Did Not Enrich Himself

However, the judges said he did not enrich himself, leading to a shorter sentence than the seven years prosecutors had demanded. Prosecutors said Lembong had enriched the private companies.

Considering Appeal

Holding up his handcuffed hands, Lembong told reporters after the sentencing that he would consider whether or not to appeal, saying judges had ignored his defence team. His lawyer Ari Yusuf Amir did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on Friday, July 18. Based on: Reuters

Wealth of Chief Judge Questioned

The wealth of Chief Judge Dennie Arsan Fatrika who decided the Tom Lembong trial amounts to Rp 4.3 billion ($266,000), Tempo.co reported on July 19.

According to the news outlet, this wealth was reported by Chief Judge Dennie in the State Officials Wealth Register (LHKPN) on December 31, 2024.

“The LHKPN data filed by Chief Judge Dennie Arsan Fatrika reflects the total wealth of Judge Dennie Arsan Fatrika and his wife,” said Central Jakarta District Court spokesperson Andi Saputra, in an official statement on July 19, 2025.

He explained that Dennie’s wife works as a lawyer, while Dennie has been a judge since the 2000s.

Career of Chief Judge

Dennie’s career began as a associate judge at the Karawang District Court in West Java province in 1999. He continued as a judge at the Mamuju District Court in 2003, then at the Lubuk Basung District Court from 2007 to 2010, the Lubuk Linggau District Court from 2010 to 2013, and the Bogor District Court until 2015.

He was then appointed as Deputy Head of the Sabang District Court from 2015 to 2016 and Deputy Head of the Baturaja District Court from 2016 to 2018. He served as Head of the Baturaja District Court until 2020.

Bandung and Bogor District Courts

Dennie then worked as a judge at the Bandung District Court until 2021. In that year, he was assigned as Deputy Head of the Bogor District Court. He was later appointed as Head of the Karawang District Court until 2023. His career has continued at the Central Jakarta District Court to the present. “The sources of this wealth, in addition to his own income, also include some inherited assets,” Andi said.

According to the e-LHKPN website, Chief Judge Dennie Arsan Fatrika reported a total wealth of Rp 4,313,850,000 in 2024.

Assets

This wealth is in the form of various assets. First, three parcels of land and buildings valued at Rp 3.15 billion in Bogor. Also, he has vehicles and machinery valued at Rp 900 million, which includes a Toyota Innova, a Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, and a Yamaha XMAX motorcycle.

The Chief Judge in the Tom Lembong case also possesses other movable assets worth Rp 153.85 million. There is also cash and cash equivalents amounting to Rp 460 million, along with debts totaling Rp 350 million. Based on: Tempo.co

Former Opposition Vice Presidential Candidate Calls For Justice

Muhaimin Iskandar, chair of the National Awakening Party (PKB), and former vice presidential candidate whose election campaign Lembong headed, said he is praying for Lembong to get justice when his appeal is heard, reported Kompas.com on July 22.

Opposition Seeking Justice

Speaking Tuesday night at the Sahid Hotel, Muhaimin—often referred to affectionately as “Cak Imin”—said he had already visited Lembong in prison and continues to hope that, as a friend, he will see a fair outcome in the appeal court. “I pray for him constantly. I have stopped by to see Tom Lembong, and I trust that justice will prevail at the appeal level,” he said.

Opposition Election Campaign Manager

Cak Imin underscored his ongoing support for Lembong, who served as co-head of Anies and Muhaimin’s presidential election campaign in Indonesia’s 2024 presidential election, won by former army general Prabowo Subianto. “I’m in regular communication with Tom,” he added.

Hoping for Sentence to be Overturned

Cak Imin is currently coordinating minister for community empowerment in Subianto’s government and also voiced the hope that the prison sentence will be overturned on appeal. “Hopefully the sentence will be overturned on appeal. Let us pray for it,” he said, as cited by Kompas.com.

Lembong formally filed his appeal Tuesday against the Central Jakarta Corruption Court’s verdict. His attorney, Zaid Mushafi, told reporters at the courthouse that the panel of judges’ legal reasoning did not align with the facts presented at trial, reported Adhyasta Dirgantara and Ardito Ramadhan for Kompas.com.

Judex Facti Appeal

“God willing, today we will officially file our appeal documents concerning Lembong’s case,” Zaid said. He explained that the appeal will be heard by a judex facti panel, which examines the trial’s factual record, and that his legal team intends to counter every point raised by the trial judges in their written appeal brief. “We will refute all the considerations made by the trial panel in our appeal submission,” he said. Based on: Kompas.com

Featured image credit: Former Deputy Chair of Indonesia’s Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Saut Situmorang is embraced by former opposition presidential candidate Anies Baswedan after hearing Thomas Lembong sentenced to 4.5 years in prison over alleged corruption related to sugar importation at the Central Jakarta Corruption Court, Friday (July 18, 2025). (KOMPAS.com/Xena Olivia)

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