The arrest is the result of an investigation opened in October last year, involving 90 witnesses.

“We have also estimated the loss suffered by the state. This is done by experts and it takes a lot of time because it is not a simple and ordinary case,” said Abdul Qohar, director of investigations at the Deputy Attorney General’s Office for Extraordinary Crimes, during the a press briefing broadcast Tuesday evening on the AGO YouTube channel. .

The alleged corruption committed by the suspects amounts to 400 billion rupees ($25,396) in losses to the state. The profits, which were pocketed by eight private companies, should have gone to state trading company PT Perusahaan Perdagangan Indonesia (PPI), according to the AGO.

Investigators suspect that Thomas issued a permit to a private company identified as PT AP to import 105,000 tonnes of raw sugar to be processed into white sugar, despite a ministerial coordination meeting concluding that the national stock of this product was already in surplus.

The import was allegedly issued by the minister without any approval from a ministerial coordination meeting or recommendation from the relevant institutions.

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The AGO alleged that Thomas also violated a 2004 Ministerial Regulation of Trade and Industry which stipulates that only state-owned enterprises (SOEs) are allowed to import raw sugar.