Jakarta. The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) on Tuesday named former Trade Minister Thomas Trikasih Lembong as a suspect in a corruption case involving alleged fraudulent sugar imports in 2015.

AGO’s Director of Criminal Investigation, Abdul Qohar, said Thomas was detained along with another suspect, a businessman identified by the initials DS.

Thomas, 53, is accused of issuing an import permit for 105,000 tons of red sugar crystals in 2015 despite a domestic surplus, Abdul said at a news conference in Jakarta.

The prosecutor added that the import license was granted to a private company, even though only state-owned companies are authorized to procure the commodity from foreign sources.

“At the time, the suspect, as trade minister, granted the import license without first coordinating with relevant state agencies,” Abdul explained.

Thomas served as trade minister from 2015 to 2016, before being appointed head of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) until October 2019 under President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo. During his tenure, he was one of Jokowi’s most trusted aides, often contributing to the president’s speeches on economic issues.

Since leaving the cabinet, Thomas has been an outspoken critic of the president and has voiced support for the presidential campaign of Anies Baswedan, another former Jokowi minister who has since been widely regarded as an opposition figure to Jokowi.

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