Indonesian fugitive flip-flops in Singapore Court on agreement to extradition

An Indonesian businessman, who was arrested in Singapore over corruption allegations, has changed his mind after earlier indicating his willingness to be extradited to Indonesia in a letter to President Prabowo Subianto.

Paulus Tannos, who appeared in the State Courts on April 22 via video link, said he is not consenting to his extradition after all.

“At this moment, I do not want to go to Indonesia.

“I will voluntarily go to Indonesia provided the Indonesian court will be fair, with the judge that is not corrupt,” he said.

Tannos, who is in his 60s, had reportedly written a letter from Changi Prison to Indonesian President Prabowo and several Indonesian media outlets on April 17, indicating his willingness to return to the country.

He said he was willing to face charges filed against him by the Indonesian Corruption Eradication Commission, “as long as the legal process is fair and conducted by judges with high integrity and free from corruption”.

Indonesian media outlet Tempo, which reported on the letter on April 20, said Tannos claimed in his correspondence that the extradition process he was facing was not in accordance with the agreement between Indonesia and Singapore.

In response to queries from The Straits Times, a Singapore Ministry of Law (MinLaw) spokeswoman said on April 22: “Since it appears from Paulus Tannos’ letter to the President of Indonesia that he is willing to be extradited, we will ask the court for an immediate hearing to facilitate his request and arrange for the extradition immediately.”

Indonesia had put in a formal extradition request for Tannos on Feb 24.

The MinLaw spokeswoman said that the extradition request by Indonesia was thoroughly reviewed by Singapore’s law enforcement agencies, who have ensured that the requirements of the extradition treaty and Singapore’s Extradition Act have been adhered to.

The extradition treaty between Singapore and Indonesia took effect on March 21, 2024.

It grants extradition for a list of offences, including corruption, money laundering and bribery, and can be retrospectively applied to crimes committed up to 18 years ago.

Under the Extradition Act, a fugitive can give consent to his extradition and waive full extradition proceedings.

Tannos, also known as Tjhin Thian Po, was president and director of Sandipala Arthaputra, a technology company awarded a contract to produce part of the Indonesian government’s electronic ID card or e-KTP project.

The graft scandal caused state losses of about 2.3 trillion rupiah (S$180 million).

Tannos has reportedly been on Indonesia’s fugitive list since Oct 19, 2021, and is believed to have been living in Singapore since 2012.

He was arrested on Jan 17 by Singapore’s Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau, after the Indonesian government made a provisional arrest request against him.

He was in court on April 22 for a bail hearing, where his lawyer Bachoo Mohan Singh argued that his client should be released on bail because he was sick and infirm.

Mr Singh said the court can impose conditions upon his client, including restricting Tannos to specific locations, imposing a curfew that stops him from leaving his home after 6pm, and obliging him to contact his investigation officer every day.

The lawyer noted that Tannos had “many interviews” with Indonesia’s Corruption Eradication Commission from 2014 to 2024, adding: “If he had wanted to run, he would have run the first time they came round and talked to him.”

Mr Singh argued that the Indonesian authorities did not substantiate their case against Tannos, and that multiple witnesses for the case have already died.

Deputy Senior State Counsel Sivakumar Ramasamy disagreed that Tannos’ medical conditions were severe enough to warrant bail.

He said bail should be considered only if he has a serious illness or physical weakness which cannot be reasonably managed in prison.

Mr Sivakumar also countered that at this stage of the proceedings, the court does not need to evaluate the merits of the evidence presented against Tannos.

Instead, it would only be applicable for his committal hearing in June, where the court has to determine whether he should be extradited to Indonesia.

The bail hearing was eventually adjourned after the defence requested for more time to acquire a medical report. Tannos’ case will be heard again on April 28.

Christine Tan is a journalist at The Straits Times reporting on crime, justice and social issues in Singapore.

Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction.

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