Overview

• Lembong approved sugar import licenses in 2015–16 despite a 370,000-ton domestic surplus and is accused of causing almost 600 billion rupiah in losses
• Judges ruled he bypassed mandatory consultations with other agencies and prioritized commercial interests over social welfare
• The 4.5-year sentence falls below the prosecutors’ seven-year demand because judges found no evidence of personal enrichment
• Lembong, trade minister under President Widodo and later campaign manager for Anies Baswedan, was arrested days after Prabowo Subianto’s inauguration in 2024
• He has signaled he may appeal the verdict and prosecutors maintain the prosecution was impartial despite his claims of political motivation