Ex-Trade Minister Lembong Sentenced in Sugar Import Scandal

Former Indonesian trade minister Thomas Trikasih Lembong has been sentenced to 4.5 years in jail for corruption linked to sugar import permits. Convicted of issuing improper permits and causing significant state losses, Lembong appealed the decision, arguing political motivation behind his prosecution.

An Indonesian court has sentenced ex-trade minister Thomas Trikasih Lembong to 4.5 years in prison for corruption. The former official was found guilty of improperly granting sugar import permits, leading to state losses of nearly 600 billion rupiah ($36.84 million).

The Jakarta corruption court stated that Lembong, who served as trade minister in 2015 and 2016, issued these permits despite a sugar surplus in the country. Prosecutors argued that his actions favored private companies, though he personally didn't profit from them.

Lembong, once a close aide to President Joko Widodo and later a vocal critic, served as campaign manager for opposition candidate Anies Baswedan in the last presidential race. He claims that his legal troubles are politically motivated, a notion prosecutors deny. Lembong expressed uncertainty about appealing the verdict.