Judge Removed from Tom Lembong’s Corruption Trial Amid Bribery Allegations in CPO Case

Jakarta, Xweb.biz.id – The corruption trial involving former Minister of Trade Thomas Trikasih Lembong, widely known as Tom Lembong, has taken a dramatic turn following the removal of one of the presiding judges. Judge Ali Muhtarom was officially dismissed from the panel after being named a suspect in a separate bribery scandal tied to the release of defendants in a crude palm oil (CPO) export corruption case.

The announcement was made by Chief Judge Dennie Arsan Fatrika during a session at the Jakarta Corruption Court on Monday (April 14).

“Judge Ali Muhtarom is permanently unable to attend court due to legal issues. Therefore, a new judge has been appointed to replace him,” Dennie stated.

Judge Alfis Setiawan has been appointed by the Chief of the Central Jakarta District Court to replace Ali and will now sit alongside Judge Purwanto Abdullah on the panel. Despite the shake-up, the trial continued with the scheduled witness examination.

Tom Lembong Faces Rp578 Billion Corruption Charges

Tom Lembong is accused of causing a financial loss of Rp578.1 billion to the state through irregularities in the issuance of sugar import licenses between 2015 and 2016. As Trade Minister at the time, he allegedly authorized raw sugar import permits for 10 companies without inter-ministerial coordination or recommendations from the Ministry of Industry.

These companies were reportedly not eligible to process raw sugar into refined sugar for public consumption, as they operated as industrial sugar refineries.

Moreover, Lembong is accused of bypassing state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in favor of appointing cooperatives such as Inkopkar, Inkoppol, Puskopol, and SKKP TNI/Polri to manage sugar price stabilization—entities deemed unqualified for the role.

He is being prosecuted under Article 2(1) or Article 3 in conjunction with Article 18 of the Corruption Eradication Act (Law No. 31/1999 as amended by Law No. 20/2001), and Article 55(1) of the Criminal Code.

Judge Ali Muhtarom Linked to Separate Bribery Scandal

Ali Muhtarom’s removal comes after he, along with fellow judges Djuyamto and Agam Syarief Baharudin, was declared a suspect in a high-profile bribery case concerning a controversial acquittal in the CPO export scandal.

According to the Attorney General’s Office, the bribery scheme was orchestrated by former Deputy Chief of the Central Jakarta District Court Muhammad Arif Nuryanta (MAN), who allegedly received Rp60 billion to influence the court’s ruling.

The bribe was funneled through court registrar Wahyu Gunawan and distributed to the three judges involved in issuing the controversial ontslag (acquittal) decision on March 19.

Public Concern Over Judicial Integrity

The removal of a presiding judge in the middle of a major corruption trial has raised public concern over the integrity and independence of Indonesia’s judiciary.

“This is a critical blow to the justice system. When the judges themselves are implicated, public trust is severely damaged,” said a legal expert from an anti-corruption watchdog.

The public and legal observers alike are calling for increased transparency and strict oversight to ensure that justice is served in both the Tom Lembong trial and the broader judicial corruption scandal.

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