Dinda Shabrina, Jakarta – Former Trade Minister Tom Lembong has been named a suspect in a corruption case involving sugar imports. Tom is suspected of unlawfully granting an import permit for 105,000 tons of raw crystal sugar to PT Angels Products in 2015. In deciding to issue the import policy, Tom is also suspected of breaking the law by not going through a coordination meeting with the relevant ministries.
Tom Lembong's lawyer, Ari Yusuf Amir, said the articles used and the allegations to ensnare Tom were fabricated. Ari mentioned that it is impossible that the sugar import policy carried out by the previous trade minister before Tom's term was not known in the coordination meeting.
"It's very naive if the coordinating minister and the president at that time were not aware (of the sugar import policy). Naive in my opinion," said Ari to Tempo on Sunday, November 3, 2024.
Based on Tom's admission, Ari stated that the sugar import policy issued by Tom was a continuation. This means that there was already a similar sugar import policy that had occurred before Tom assumed the position as trade minister.
Ari regretted the Attorney General's Office (AGO) decision to designate his client as a suspect. He thought the AGO acted prematurely. "Including the detainment. That's too premature," he said.
Until now, the AGO has not presented strong evidence of state losses or actual losses caused by Tom's policy at that time. "If a minister fails to implement good governance, he/she will be reprimanded by his/her coordinating minister or the president," said Ari.
If a minister's policy is deemed wrong, Ari suggested that an evaluation should have been conducted at that time. If the policy is too fatal, the minister could be immediately dismissed. "So, it shouldn't go straight to criminal charges abruptly. Moreover, that was back in 2015, a very long time ago. I say it sets a precedent, the current serving ministers should be careful up to the next 10 years," he added.
Until now, the AGO has not found evidence of what criminal acts are being charged against Tom Lembong. Head of Public Relations Bureau (Kapuspenkum) of the AGO, Harli Siregar, mentioned that they are still trying to find the evidence. "Up to now, the investigators are still working," said Harli to Tempo on Sunday, November 3, 2024.