News
Lawmaker doubts effectiveness of extradition treaty with S`pore
Kamis, 12 Juli 2007 | 01:34 WIB
Jakarta, NU Online
A legislator has expressed doubt that the extradition treaty Indonesia has signed with Singapore will enable the repatriation of Indonesian assets and corrupters from the neighboring city state.
"We cannot be optimistic that the money and corrupters in Singapore can be returned to Indonesia," House of Representatives (DPR) member Yuddy Chrisnandi said Wednesday.<>
The problem was that many of the corrupters the extradition treaty was aimed at had legally yet to be declared persons wanted by the law so that the treaty could not be applied to them, Yuddy said.
"There is also this difference in the two coutries` legal systems because Singapore adheres to the Anglo-saxon system," he was quoted by Antara news agency as saying.
Meanwhile, former Indonesian ambassador to Singapore Luhut Panjaitan said the treaty was of relatively little significance to Singapore.
"Singapore actually is not too concerned about it. Their foreign exchange reserves are huge so the Indonesian corrupters` wealth is not of any great significance to them," Luhut said.
At present Indonesian corrupters` money in singapore accounts for 3-4 percent of the US$780 billion that was circulating in Singapore banks, according Yudddy.
"In absolute terms, the corrupters` money amounts to only about US$12 billion or Rp300 trillion," he said, adding that the treaty should have been retroactive 20 years instead of 15 years. (dar)
A legislator has expressed doubt that the extradition treaty Indonesia has signed with Singapore will enable the repatriation of Indonesian assets and corrupters from the neighboring city state.
"We cannot be optimistic that the money and corrupters in Singapore can be returned to Indonesia," House of Representatives (DPR) member Yuddy Chrisnandi said Wednesday.<>
The problem was that many of the corrupters the extradition treaty was aimed at had legally yet to be declared persons wanted by the law so that the treaty could not be applied to them, Yuddy said.
"There is also this difference in the two coutries` legal systems because Singapore adheres to the Anglo-saxon system," he was quoted by Antara news agency as saying.
Meanwhile, former Indonesian ambassador to Singapore Luhut Panjaitan said the treaty was of relatively little significance to Singapore.
"Singapore actually is not too concerned about it. Their foreign exchange reserves are huge so the Indonesian corrupters` wealth is not of any great significance to them," Luhut said.
At present Indonesian corrupters` money in singapore accounts for 3-4 percent of the US$780 billion that was circulating in Singapore banks, according Yudddy.
"In absolute terms, the corrupters` money amounts to only about US$12 billion or Rp300 trillion," he said, adding that the treaty should have been retroactive 20 years instead of 15 years. (dar)
