Jakarta – Chairman of the Indonesian Association of Lecturers in Law and Criminology, Dr. Edi Hasibuan, stated that the 4.5-year prison sentence handed down to former Minister of Trade Tom Lembong in the alleged sugar import corruption case for the 2015–2016 period was appropriate and legitimate.
This was conveyed by Dr. Edi Hasibuan while in Jakarta on Sunday, July 20, 2025.
According to Edi Hasibuan, the 4.5-year verdict against Tom Lembong is the result of a lengthy legal process that went through legitimate stages of evidence in court.
“This decision shows that the judicial system is working objectively, ensuring that every individual—without exception—is held accountable for actions that harm the state, even though there was no direct flow of funds received by Lembong,” Edi explained.
He emphasized that the verdict had gone through a comprehensive legal process, valid evidentiary stages in court, an independent judicial decision, and reflects the integrity of the justice system as well as the supremacy of law in Indonesia.
He concluded by saying, “This is purely a legal matter, and we consider this not a form of criminalization.”
Four Aggravating Factors in Tom Lembong’s Verdict:
First, Tom was considered to have prioritized capitalist economic approaches in formulating policies to maintain the national sugar supply and stabilize sugar prices.
Second, Tom Lembong was assessed as failing to uphold the principle of legal certainty and to base his policies on the prevailing laws and regulations when making decisions to control sugar prices at that time.
Third, Tom Lembong was also viewed as having failed to carry out his duties and responsibilities in an accountable, beneficial, and fair manner in maintaining the stability of affordable white crystal sugar prices for the public.
Fourth, as Minister of Trade, the defendant was found to have neglected the public as the end consumers of white crystal sugar, failing to ensure that they could access the sugar at affordable prices.
