Singapore processing extradition of fugitive businessman wanted in Indonesia

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SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Singapore is processing its first ever extradition request from neighbouring Indonesia for a businessman accused of corruption in a government project, the city-state’s law ministry said on Monday.

Paulus Tannos has been implicated in a graft scandal involving the Indonesian government’s electronic identification card project, which caused losses to the state of about 2.3 trillion rupiah ($140.72 million), reported news outlet the Jakarta Globe.     

Tannos has been on Indonesia’s wanted list since 2021 for alleged offences committed a decade earlier, according to its anti-graft agency.  

Singapore’s law and home affairs minister K Shanmugam told a briefing on Monday that Tannos was arrested in January following a request from Indonesia in December.

He is accused of colluding with some lawmakers and government officials to ensure his firm won a contract to produce ID cards at an inflated price in return for kickbacks, Indonesian investigative magazine Tempo has reported.     

It is not immediately clear how Tannos has responded to the allegations and Reuters could not immediately find contact details for his legal representative. 

Indonesia’s anti-graft agency and its immigration ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.  

According to Singapore authorities, Tannos has permanent residency in Singapore and holds a diplomatic passport from Guinea-Bissau, but his diplomatic immunity is not recognised because he was not accredited with the foreign affairs ministry.

Singapore’s law ministry said it was working closely with Indonesian authorities and would seek to expedite the extradition process, which would take about six months if uncontested by Tannos. 

The extradition treaty between Singapore and Indonesia came into effect on March last year.

It can be retrospectively applied to crimes committed up to 18 years ago, according to Singapore’s Straits Times.

($1 = 16,345.0000 rupiah)

(Reporting by Lok Bing Hong; Additional reporting by Stefanno Sulaiman in Jakarta; writing by Xinghui Kok; Editing by Martin Petty)