JAKARTA – An Indonesian court on July 18 sentenced a former trade minister to 4½ years in jail for improperly granting sugar import permits that the authorities said caused nearly 600 billion rupiah (S$47 million) in state losses.

Thomas Trikasih Lembong served as trade minister in 2015 and 2016 under then Indonesian president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo. Once seen as Mr Widodo’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 Indonesia had a surplus of sugar.

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

In the 2024 presidential election, Lembong was the campaign manager for one of the candidates, Mr

Anies Baswedan

. The election was won in a landslide by Mr Prabowo Subianto, whom Mr Widodo backed.

Lembong, who was

arrested days after Mr Prabowo’s inauguration

in 2024, claimed in court that his prosecution was due to his involvement in the opposition camp, local media reported.

Prosecutors denied his arrest was politically motivated.

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

Before handing out the sentence, the judges 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.

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

Holding up his handcuffed hands, Lembong told reporters after the sentencing he would consider whether or not to appeal, saying judges ignored his defence team. REUTERS

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