Jakarta, July 19 -- Former trade minister Thomas Trikasih Lembong, also known as Tom Lembong, was pronounced guilty of corruption in a sugar importation case and sentenced to four years and six months in prison on Friday.

He was also awarded a fine of Rp750 million, with a subsidiary penalty of six months' imprisonment if the fine is not paid.

"The court declares the defendant Tom Lembong to be officially and convincingly proven guilty of committing a criminal act of corruption jointly," main judge Dennie Arsan Fatrika said while reading the verdict of the panel of judges at the Jakarta Corruption Court on Friday.

As a result of Lembong's actions, the state suffered losses of Rp194.72 billion, Fatrika added.

Before handing down the se...