AGO Makes New Effort for Return of Bailout Fugitive Djoko

SP/Novianti Setuningsih

Indonesia has sent a team to Papua New Guinea to discuss the repatriation of banker turned corruption fugitive Djoko Tjandra, a senior government official says.

Attorney General Basrief Arief said on Tuesday that the team, led by Deputy Attorney General Darmono, had left for Papua New Guinea, but gave no other details.

“The PNG government has [insisted that] further negotiations [for Djoko’s repatriation] are needed. An integrated team led by the deputy attorney general has already left for that country,” Basrief said.

Speaking after attending a discussion held by the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), Basrief said he hoped the discussions would lead to PNG officials approving a request by Jakarta to send back Djoko, who was earlier this year granted citizenship in his adopted home country.

Jakarta, which has no extradition treaty with Port Moresby, has made several efforts to secure Djoko’s return, including by sending an official letter and through mutual legal assistance procedures.

But there has been no indication from PNG officials that the requests will be approved anytime soon.

Djoko, the former owner of the now-defunct Bank Bali, fled Indonesia for Port Moresby on a chartered flight on June 10, 2009, just a day before the Supreme Court upheld his conviction for embezzling Rp 546 billion ($56.7 million) in bailout funds meant for his bank during the 1998 Asian financial crisis.

He was sentenced in absentia to two years in prison and ordered him to return the embezzled funds. Djoko has been listed as a wanted person by Interpol since 2009.