REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, By: Stefi Vellanueva Farrah *)
An Indonesian fugitive who fled after his Bank Indonesia liquidity assistance (BLBI) trial, Samadikun Hartono, was arrested in China last week after 13 years on the run from a prison sentence for embezzlement. The arrest of the former Bank Modern president commissioner was achieved thanks to cooperation between the governments of Indonesia and China, reported Sutiyoso, the head of the State Intelligence Agency (BIN), as quoted by tribunnews.com on Monday during his visit to Germany with President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo.
Explaining the chronology of the arrest, Sutiyoso said that BIN had received a tip-off about Samadikun's whereabouts in Shanghai. However, it still proved difficult to confirm the information and actually locate Samadikun. The fugitive was not always in Shanghai, Sutiyoso said, and his office needed more accurate information before it could find him. Sutiyoso visited China on April 7 to be a keynote speaker at a terrorism-related event attended by representatives from Asian countries. "I used that opportunity to meet and speak with Chinese ministry officials to ask for support in arresting SH," he said.
More information then came in, suggesting that Samadikun would attend last Sunday's Chinese F1 Grand Prix. Sutiyoso, who had by then returned to Jakarta, reported this information to Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan who sent several BIN and law enforcement officials to China. The officials, along with Chinese counterparts, closely monitored Samadikun's possible locations for a few days. The fugitive then showed up at the Grand Prix site on Thursday.
Its Impact
The success of BIN to arrest BLBI’s fugitive Samadikun Hartono will give a greater impacts. This success is showed that the relationship between BIN and Chinese counterparts is running well so that between BIN and Chinese intelligence can information exchang each others.
Samadikun’s arrest will signal that the government of Indonesia has been declared war of economic and corruptor fugitive. Those intention had been showed with build a cooperation with Interpol, intelligence agency and through diplomatic relationship.
If the efforts will success, its important for Indonesia’s economy recovery especially if the fugitive’s arrest can be followed by the confiscation of their assets to recover the state losses.
Last but not least, the impact of Samadikun’s arrest is raising foreign investor trust to Indonesia and its make them didn’t hesitate to invest their capital to Indonesia which is important for boosting Indonesia’s economic progress and also eradicateng unemployment in Indonesia.
Another impact is Jokowi’s administration has been showed their strong intention to implement law enforcement firmly in Indonesia. It’s needed to build positive image about the next law enforcement process in Indonesia.
Crucially, from the success of Samadikun’s arrest is showed that if the State Intelligence Agency will be given a huge authority to catch and arrest an economic fugitive and a corruptor’s suspect especially whom was stayed abroad and also the arrest authority for terror suspects who stay arround in Indonesia, its might be made a better condition for Jokowi’s administration to fullfil their mandate. Hopefully.
*) The writer is a law and politic observer. Residing in East Jakarta.
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