Indonesian President Yudhoyono calls for the arrest of more fugitives

[News_Editor]

Indonesian President Yudhoyono calls for the arrest of more fugitives

2011-08-12 10:24:24 GMT+7 (ICT)

JAKARTA, INDONESIA (BNO NEWS) -- Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Thursday called on National Police to continue pursuing wanted fugitives following the arrest of Muhammad Nazaruddin.

Yudhoyono, at a cabinet meeting in the state palace, said Indonesia is capable of looking for and finding fugitives, calling on the National Police and related government officials to step up their investigations and search efforts for wanted fugitives, the Jakarta Globe reported.

Among Indonesia's most wanted fugitives are Nunun Nurbaeti Daradjatun, who is allegedly involved in the Bank Indonesia bribery scandal, as well as businessman Anggoro Widjojo and former Bank Century shareholders Hesham Al Warraq and Rafat Ali Rizvi.

Djoko Suyanto, Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, said police and prosecutors will prioritize such investigations. In addition, he explained that Nazaruddin's social media activity helped police find and capture him. However, he noted some fugitives such as Nunun often disappear with little or no traces.

Nazaruddin, former treasurer of the governing Democratic Party, was officially named a suspect in late June in a bribery case involving an athletes' village project in Jakabaring, Palembang. Nazaruddin allegedly accepted bribes worth almost $3 million from a company which won a contract for athlete housing at the South East Asian Games, which will be held in Indonesia in November.

Officials at Indonesia's Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) previously requested a travel ban on Nazaruddin but he fled to Singapore on May 23, a day before the directorate general of immigration at the Law and Human Rights Ministry issued the ban.

In July, the Interpol listed him in its Red Notice list to seek his arrest or provisional arrest with a view to extradition. Nazaruddin was arrested on Sunday by Interpol Agents at Rafael Nunez International Airport in the resort city of Cartagena as he was trying to board a plane bound for Bogota, supposedly with the intention of watching a match in the FIFA Under-20 football tournament.

On Wednesday, the Colombian government approved his extradition after which Nazaruddin arrived in Indonesia's capital of Jakarta on Thursday.

Petek, a member of the Southeast Asian Jemaah Islamiyah terrorist group, was wanted in the United States, Australia, and Indonesia on terrorism charges. He is believed to have participated in the 2002 Bali bombings which killed 202 people - mostly Australians and seven Americans. The U.S. Rewards for Justice Program had placed a $1 million reward for information leading to his arrest.

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