Signing The Extradition Treaty With Singapore, Minister of Law and Human Rights: Creates A Disturbing Effect For Criminals

Minister of Law and Human Rights (Menkum HAM) Yasonna Hamonangan Laoly /PHOTO VIA ANTARAr

JAKARTA - Minister of Law and Human Rights Yasonna Laoly said the extradition agreement between Indonesia and Singapore will shake the perpetrators of criminal acts. The agreement between the two countries was signed in Bintan, Riau Islands.

"After going through a very long process, the Indonesia-Singapore extradition agreement can finally be implemented," Yasonna said in a written statement to reporters, Tuesday, January 25.

Yasonna said the signing of the extradition agreement would make the work of law enforcement officers in the two countries easier.

The reason is that every person 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," he said.

Yasonna added that the existence of an extradition treaty between Indonesia and Singapore made the space for criminals from the country to escape increasingly narrow.

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.

This PDIP Party politician said that Indonesia and Singapore had previously been bound by the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters (MLA) Agreement between ASEAN member countries in 2008.

"If the two countries can immediately ratify the signed Extradition Treaty, law enforcement agencies of the two countries can take advantage of this Extradition Agreement in an effort to prevent and eradicate cross-border criminal acts such as corruption and terrorism," he said.

For information, the signing of the Extradition Agreement was carried out at the Leaders Retreat, which is an annual meeting that began in 2016 between the President of the Republic of Indonesia and the Prime Minister of Singapore to discuss mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.

This Leaders Retreat was originally scheduled to be held in 2020 but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this activity could only be held on January 25, 2022, in Bintan, Riau Islands.

During the meeting, the Indonesian President and Singaporean PM will witness the signing of 15 strategic cooperation documents in the political, legal, security, economic and socio-cultural fields including the Agreement on Adjustment of the FIR, the Indonesia-Singapore Extradition Agreement, the Joint Statement of the Ministers of Defense of Indonesia and Singapore on the Agreement to enforce the 2007 Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA MINDEF Joint Statement).

In addition to the three agreement documents, the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment of the Republic of Indonesia and the Senior Minister/Coordinating Minister for National Security in Singapore will also exchange letters which will serve as the framework for the implementation of the three documents of strategic cooperation between Indonesia and Singapore simultaneously.