Indonesia-Singapore Extradition Is An Entry Point For The KPK To Recover Corrupted State Assets

JAKARTA - The extradition treaty between Indonesia and Singapore has been signed. Without thinking, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) will take advantage of this momentum to summon litigants living in the Lion Country, including the suspect in the mega-corruption case of e-KTP procurement, Paulus Tanos.

Minister of Law and Human Rights (Menkumham) Yasonna Laoly said the extradition agreement between Indonesia and Singapore will shake the perpetrators of criminal acts.

The reason is that every person who is found to be in one of the territories of the country can be requested and sought by the requesting country to then undergo a period of prosecution or trial in matters of carrying out sentences for criminal acts. Indonesia has been pursuing this agreement since 1998.

"This extradition agreement will create a deterrence effect for perpetrators of criminal acts in Indonesia and Singapore," Yasonna said in a written statement to reporters, Tuesday, January 25.

Yasonna also said that this agreement would narrow the space for criminals from the country to escape.

Moreover, Indonesia currently has agreements with other countries, namely Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Australia, the Republic of Korea, the People's Republic of China, and Hong Kong SAR.

The existence of this extradition agreement was then appreciated by the KPK. Deputy Chairperson of the KPK, Nurul Ghufron, said that the agreement between the two countries would not only facilitate the repatriation of corruption suspects who fled or were domiciled in other countries, including Singapore.

Ghufron said that this agreement will also have a positive impact on asset recovery efforts.

"Because it is undeniable that the assets of the perpetrators of corruption are not only in the country, but also spread in various other countries. So by optimizing the seizure of these assets, we are contributing to Non-Tax State Revenue (PNBP)," he said in a written statement.

He then said the extradition agreement would be a progressive acceleration in efforts to eradicate corruption in the country.

"This agreement is a milestone for the eradication of corruption, not only for Indonesia but also for eradicating corruption on a global scale," said Ghufron.

In fact, as if to prove the function of this agreement, the KPK will immediately coordinate to summon the President Director of PT Sandipala Arthapura, Paulus Tanos who lives in Singapore.

Paulus Tanos is a suspect in a corruption case in the procurement of e-KTP which cost the state up to Rp. 2.3 trillion.

"Regarding this extradition agreement, we will next coordinate further with the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs so that how then the handling of the case that we are currently investigating is expected to be completed," said Acting KPK Spokesperson for Enforcement Sector Ali Fikri.

He then explained that the summons of Paulus Tanos as a suspect and one of his children, Pauline Tanos as a witness, had been carried out several times by the KPK. However, both of them did not attend because they were abroad.

So with this extradition agreement, it is hoped that the summons of the two can be immediately carried out to thoroughly investigate the corruption case in the procurement of e-KTP which caused state losses of Rp. 2.3 trillion.

"How then can the suspect (Paulus Tanos, ed) also be examined or witnesses who are not in Indonesia can be further coordinated," concluded Ali.