Pretrial Paulus Tannos Rejected, South Jakarta District Court Considers Premature Application

JAKARTA - The South Jakarta District Court (PN) has decided to reject the request for a pretrial lawsuit from a fugitive in the alleged corruption case in the procurement of an electronic ID card (e-KTP) Paulus Tannos against the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

"In the main case, the applicant's pretrial is unacceptable," said single Judge Halida Rahardhini in the main courtroom of the South Jakarta District Court, Tuesday, confiscated by Antara.

Halida assessed that Paulus Tannos' pretrial application was premature (error in objecto).

Thus, through the pretrial trial decision as well, the investigation into the alleged corruption case of e-KTP related to Paulus Tannos will continue.

"The pretrial a quo application is 'error in objecto' and premature to be submitted," he said.

The considerations regarding the verdict cannot accept Paulus Tannos' pretrial lawsuit, namely the arrest and detention of the defendant by the Singaporean authorities.

"It is not the arrests and detentions made by the Indonesian law enforcement officers of the KPK or the respondent according to the procedural law regulated in the Criminal Procedure Code," he said.

He added that the lawsuit filed by Paulus was not included in the pretrial object as stipulated in the applicable regulations.

Therefore, this pretrial lawsuit was declared premature to be submitted to the South Jakarta District Court.

Meanwhile, the KPK Legal Bureau team, Indah stated that her party appreciated the decision from the South Jakarta District Court judge which rejected Paulus Tannos' pretrial lawsuit.

He also confirmed that Paul was indeed arrested by the Singaporean authorities, not the KPK. So, the procedural legal process in Singapore is not based on procedural law in Indonesia.

"We appreciate and thank the decision of the pre-trial judge who has rejected the petition from the petitioner," said Indah.

The KPK announced that Paulus Tannos alias Thian Po Tjhin had been arrested in Singapore in early January 2025. Currently, the person concerned is undergoing the extradition process in Singapore court.

Paulus Tannos was named a new suspect in the development of an investigation into the corruption case in the procurement of electronic ID cards on August 13, 2019. The KPK suspects that the state's financial losses in this case are around Rp. 2.3 trillion.

However, Paulus Tannos fled abroad and changed his identity. He was then put on the wanted list (DPO) or fugitive from the anti-corruption commission since October 19, 2021.