Pretrial“/>The Attorney General’s Office (Kejagung) said it was focusing on preparations to face the pretrial trial of Thomas Trikasih Lembong (TTL) or Tom Lembong, a suspect in the 2015–2016 sugar import corruption case.
This statement answered the media crew’s question about whether the AGO would examine other trade ministers after Tom Lembong, who was Minister of Trade for the 2015–2016 period.
“Regarding Mr. Tom Lembong’s case, the investigation is ongoing. Last I heard there was a pre-trial, so let’s follow it first,” said the Director of Investigations at the Junior Attorney General for Special Crimes (Jampidsus) at the Attorney General’s Office, Abdul Qohar, in a press conference at the Attorney General’s Building, Jakarta, today.
He admitted that until now, his party had not received a notification letter from the court regarding the pretrial hearing.
Nevertheless, he said, currently his party is focusing on facing the pretrial hearing and will continue the ongoing investigation.
“So, for the investigation, we will follow what developments will be. In time, we will see together later in the trial process,” he said.
Previously, the head of the legal team for suspect Tom Lembong, Ari Yusuf Amir, asked the Attorney General’s Office to examine the Minister of Trade for the next period regarding this case.
“This investigation is related to sugar imports at the Ministry of Trade in 2015–2023, meaning they have to investigate until 2023,” said Ari on Tuesday (5/11).
Ari said it was important that the Minister of Trade for the next period also be questioned so as not to raise questions. Moreover, Tom Lembong’s term of office as Minister of Trade was only one year, namely 2015-2016.
“Until Mr. Thomas Lembong became a suspect and was detained, no other ministers were questioned. What does that mean? Please translate it yourself,” he said.
It is known that two suspects have been named in the alleged sugar import corruption case in 2015–2016, namely Thomas Trikasih Lembong (TTL) or Tom Lembong as Minister of Trade for the 2015–2016 period and CS as Director of Business Development of PT Perusahaan Dagang Indonesia.
In his statement, the Attorney General said that this case began when Tom Lembong, as Minister of Trade at that time, gave permission to import 105,000 tons of raw crystal sugar to PT AP to be processed into white crystal sugar.
In fact, in an inter-ministerial coordination meeting (rakor) on 12 May 2015 it was concluded that Indonesia was experiencing a sugar surplus, so there was no need for sugar imports.
The AGO said that the import approval issued was not carried out through coordination with the relevant agencies and without any recommendation from the Ministry of Industry to determine domestic sugar needs. (Ant/P-2)
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**Interview with Abdul Qohar, Director of Investigations at the Attorney General’s Office**
**Editor:** Thank you for joining us, Mr. Qohar. The Attorney General’s Office is currently focusing on the pretrial hearing of Thomas Lembong. Could you clarify what that entails for your office?
**Abdul Qohar:** Thank you for having me. The pretrial hearing is a crucial stage where we will present our findings and legal arguments. Our primary focus is to prepare adequately and respond to any claims made by Mr. Lembong’s legal team. We’re committed to ensuring that due process is followed throughout this procedure.
**Editor:** There’s been speculation about whether other former Trade Ministers will be investigated alongside Mr. Lembong. What can you tell us about that?
**Abdul Qohar:** Currently, our investigation is centered on Mr. Lembong and the specific allegations surrounding the 2015–2016 sugar import corruption case. While we acknowledge the calls for further investigation into other ministers, our focus will remain on the ongoing pretrial process for now.
**Editor:** Can you comment on the response received from the court regarding the pretrial hearing?
**Abdul Qohar:** As of now, we have not received any notification from the court concerning the pretrial hearing. However, we’re closely monitoring the situation and preparing for when we do receive information.
**Editor:** There have been calls from Mr. Lembong’s legal team to investigate sugar imports from 2015 to 2023. How does that fit into your investigation?
**Abdul Qohar:** We take any allegations seriously. The scope of our current inquiry is tied specifically to the 2015–2016 period when Mr. Lembong served as Minister of Trade. Should any credible evidence come to light regarding actions taken by other ministers or in subsequent periods, we will evaluate that as the investigation progresses.
**Editor:** Thank you for your insights, Mr. Qohar. We look forward to updates on the pretrial process.
**Abdul Qohar:** Thank you. It’s important for us to maintain transparency as we work through this case.
