Tom Lembong calls the prohibition of imported white sugar, not an imported raw crystal sugar

Tuesday, June 10, 2025 – 23:40 Wib

Yakarta, Viva – Former Indonesian Minister of Commerce (Mendag) Thomas Trikasih Lembong, aka Tom Lembong, declared that the import of raw crystal sugar (GKM) was not prohibited when entering the harvest period. However, Tom said, what was prohibited was the importation of white glass sugar (GKP).

This was revealed by Tom Lembong When Responding to the Testimony of the Two Witnesses Present by The Public Prosecator (JPU) at The Hearing Held On Tuesday, June 10, 2025. The Two Witnesses Presented Were The Chairperson of The Indonesian People’s Sugarcane Farmers Association (APTRI) Soemitro Samadiken and The Former Deputy for Food Coordination and Agribusiness in the Coordinating Ministry for Coordinating Ministry for the economy, Musdalifah.

“His majesty, I have to discuss or deny, once again that the prohibition of sugar imports in the harvest season or the grinding season only applies to the importation of white sugar, not to import raw sugar,” said Tom Lembong in the corruption room of the Court of Corruption in the Central Court of Jakarta district.

Then, Tom explained that the ban was only valid in 2004 and was revoked in 2015.

At that time, Tom said, the prohibition of sugar in 2015 was GKP, no GKM. However, in 2016 the prohibition of the entire sugar importer was no longer.

“Secondly, the ban only applies through the Minister of Industry and Commerce 527 in 2004, and has been revoked in December 2015, with you issuing Pra.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hlfxe3ky28

Previously, the prosecutor accused Tom Lembong having damaged the state of RP578 billion related to the alleged corruption of sugar imports in the Ministry of Commerce in 2015-2016.

The public prosecutor read him the accusation against Tom Lembong of the Office of the Attorney General in the Central Court of Corruption of Yakarta (corruption), Thursday, March 6, 2025.

“The state financial loss is RP578,105,411,622.47 based on the report on the results of the audit of the calculation of state financial losses in the alleged criminal acts of corruption in the import activities of sugar in the Ministry of Commerce in 2015 to 2016,” said the prosecutor when he reads the indication in the court.

The prosecutor said that Tom was supposedly enriched with 10 corporate officials who damaged the state of RP515,408,740,970.36.

For his actions, Tom Lembong was accused of violating paragraph 2 of article 2 (1) or article 3 together with article 18 of the Corruption Eradication Law (Corruption Law) together with article 55 Paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code.