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Online Citizen
3 days ago
- Online Citizen
Singapore court rejects prosecutors' bid to strike out fugitive Indonesian's CPIB allegations
SINGAPORE: A district court on 28 May rejected an application by the prosecution to strike out portions of affidavits submitted in the bail hearing of Indonesian fugitive Paulus Tannos. The affidavits, said to contain allegations against Singapore's Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB), were not disclosed in court. Tannos, also known as Tjhin Thian Po, was arrested in Singapore on 17 January 2025 by the CPIB following a provisional arrest request from Indonesian authorities. He has been on Indonesia's wanted list since 19 October 2021 for his alleged role in a massive corruption scandal involving the Indonesian government's electronic identification card (e-KTP) project, which resulted in estimated state losses of 2.3 trillion rupiah (S$181.7 million). Tannos was the president and director of Sandipala Arthaputra, a technology firm awarded a contract to produce components for the e-KTP project. According to the Straits Times, Deputy Senior State Counsel Sivakumar Ramasamy told the court on 27 and 28 May that Tannos' defence counsel had requested permission on 15 May to file an affidavit related to his hospitalisation at Changi General Hospital (CGH) between 2 and 9 May. The court granted the request, and two affidavits were submitted—one by Tannos and another by his lawyer, Paulus Sinatra Wijaya. However, Sivakumar argued that both affidavits went beyond the scope permitted. He said parts of Tannos' affidavit addressed his past interactions with the Indonesian authorities and the CPIB, in response to points raised by a CPIB investigating officer regarding his status as a potential flight risk. Sivakumar added that these matters had already been addressed during an earlier bail hearing, and legal arguments had been made on the same issues. On 28 May, Tannos' defence lawyer Bachoo Mohan Singh objected to the prosecution's application to strike out the affidavits. 'I've never come across a scenario where, when a man is fighting for his liberty, he is constrained from saying what he wishes to say,' said Singh. Addressing District Judge Brenda Tan, he added: 'I would not be doing my job if I were to ignore important issues which I consider vital in my client's effort to seek liberty.' He said the defence had no objection to the prosecution filing a response. After hearing both sides, Judge Tan rejected the prosecution's application. 'I'm inclined to leave the further affidavits in the application on record in the interest of justice and completeness, and give the state a chance to respond to this,' she said. However, she told Singh: 'To be fair, you have put in contents which you were not given permission to, so the state has a right of reply.' Separately, Judge Tan referred to a CGH medical report that had been submitted earlier, noting that she personally knew the senior consultant who signed off on it. She asked whether either side had concerns with her presiding over the bail hearing. Both Singh and the prosecution said they had no issue. At the conclusion of the hearing, Tannos again declined to consent to extradition to Indonesia. Under the Extradition Act, fugitives can give consent and waive extradition proceedings. Singapore received Indonesia's provisional arrest request on 19 December 2024. Following a joint assessment by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) and the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC), authorities determined that the request fulfilled the conditions set out in the extradition treaty between both countries. A warrant was subsequently issued and executed on 17 January 2025. Indonesia followed up with a formal extradition request on 24 February. On 10 March, Minister K. Shanmugam confirmed that Singapore was working to expedite the extradition process and reiterated the country's full commitment to upholding its extradition obligations. The Singapore–Indonesia extradition treaty, which came into force on 21 March 2024, covers offences including corruption, money laundering, and bribery, and allows for the retroactive application of the treaty to crimes committed up to 18 years ago. A committal hearing to determine whether Tannos should be extradited to face charges has been set for June.
Straits Times
29-05-2025
- Straits Times
AGC looks to strike out fugitive Indonesian's evidence containing allegations against CPIB
Indonesian Paulus Tannos, also known as Tjhin Thian Po, was arrested in Singapore on Jan 17. PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM AGC looks to strike out fugitive Indonesian's evidence containing allegations against CPIB SINGAPORE – The Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) wants to strike out portions of affidavits submitted in a fugitive Indonesian man's bail hearing said to contain allegations against the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB). Paulus Tannos was arrested on Jan 17 by CPIB over corruption allegations in Indonesia, where he had been on its fugitive list since Oct 19, 2021. On May 27, Deputy Senior State Counsel Sivakumar Ramasamy told the court that defence counsel representing Tannos had on May 15 asked for permission to file an affidavit to tender facts in relation to his admission to Changi General Hospital (CGH) between May 2 and 9. After the court allowed this, two affidavits were submitted – one from Tannos and another from a lawyer named Paulus Sinatra Wijaya. Mr Sivakumar said these were beyond the scope of what the court had allowed. He said parts of Tannos' own affidavit cover his past interaction with the Indonesian authorities and CPIB, replying to points made by a CPIB investigating officer on the issue of him being a flight risk. Mr Sivakumar said these were covered in an earlier bail hearing and legal arguments had been made on these issues. He said there was no permission for the second affidavit, which also covered Tannos' interactions with Indonesian authorities and CPIB. Mr Sivakumar said the AGC was applying for this affidavit and portions of the other one to be struck out and disregarded. One of Tannos' lawyers, Mr Hamza Malik, said this was the first time the defence had been notified of the matter. He asked the court that the application be heard at the start of the bail hearing on May 28, so they could take Tannos' instructions. Mr Sivakumar said he brought this issue up on May 27 so that if the AGC 's application to strike out those parts were not allowed, then it would get permission to file a reply affidavit as Tannos' affidavits contained allegations against CPIB which had to be addressed. He did not specify what these allegations were. District Judge Brenda Tan said she would hear the application on May 28. Separately, the judge referred to a CGH medical report that had been tendered earlier. She said she knows the senior consultant who signed off the medical report and asked if the defence and the AGC had any issue with her being the judge for the bail hearing. While both parties said they had no issue with it, Mr Hamza asked if he could discuss this with Tannos. District Judge Tan agreed that the issue could be addressed on May 28. Tannos, also known as Tjhin Thian Po, was president and director of Sandipala Arthaputra, a technology company awarded a contract to produce part of the Indonesian government's electronic identification card, or e-KTP project. The graft scandal caused state losses of about 2.3 trillion rupiah (S$181.7 million). Tannos is believed to have been living in Singapore since 2012. He was arrested here after the Indonesian government made a provisional arrest request against him. As Tannos fights to be released on bail, a date has been set in June for his committal hearing, which would determine whether he should be extradited to face charges. At the hearing on May 27, he again refused to give consent for him to be extradited to Indonesia. Under the Extradition Act, fugitives can give consent to their extradition and waive extradition proceedings. Indonesia put in a formal extradition request for Tannos on Feb 24. The extradition treaty between Singapore and Indonesia took effect on March 21, 2024. It grants extradition for a list of offences, including corruption, money laundering and bribery, and can be retrospectively applied to crimes committed up to 18 years ago. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
The Star
27-05-2025
- The Star
Prosecution looks to strike out fugitive Indonesian's evidence containing allegations against Singapore's Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau
Indonesian Paulus Tannos, also known as Tjhin Thian Po, was arrested in Singapore on Jan 17. - Photo: Screengrab from SINGAPORE: The prosecution wants to strike out portions of affidavits submitted in a fugitive Indonesian man's bail hearing said to contain allegations against the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB). Paulus Tannos was arrested on Jan 17 by CPIB over corruption allegations in Indonesia, where he had been on its fugitive list since Oct 19, 2021. On Tuesday (May 27), Deputy Senior State Counsel Sivakumar Ramasamy told the court that defence counsel representing Tannos had on May 15 asked for permission to file an affidavit to tender facts in relation to his admission to Changi General Hospital (CGH) between May 2 and 9. After the court allowed this, two affidavits were submitted – one from Tannos and another from a lawyer named Paulus Sinatra Wijaya. Sivakumar said these were beyond the scope of what the court had allowed. He said parts of Tannos' own affidavit cover his past interaction with the Indonesian authorities and CPIB, replying to points made by a CPIB investigating officer on the issue of him being a flight risk. Sivakumar said these were covered in an earlier bail hearing and legal arguments had been made on these issues. He said there was no permission for the second affidavit, which also covered Tannos' interactions with Indonesian authorities and CPIB. Sivakumar said the prosecution was applying for this affidavit and portions of the other one to be struck out and disregarded. One of Tannos' lawyers, Hamza Malik, said this was the first time the defence had been notified of the matter. He asked the court that the application be heard at the start of the bail hearing on May 28, so they could take Tannos' instructions. Sivakumar said he brought this issue up on May 27 so that if the prosecution's application to strike out those parts were not allowed, then it would get permission to file a reply affidavit as Tannos' affidavits contained allegations against CPIB which had to be addressed. He did not specify what these allegations were. District Judge Brenda Tan said she would hear the application on May 28. Separately, the judge referred to a CGH medical report that had been tendered earlier. She said she knows the senior consultant who signed off the medical report and asked if the defence and prosecution had any issue with her being the judge for the bail hearing. While both parties said they had no issue with it, Hamza asked if he could discuss this with Tannos. District Judge Tan agreed that the issue could be addressed on May 28. Tannos, also known as Tjhin Thian Po, was president and director of Sandipala Arthaputra, a technology company awarded a contract to produce part of the Indonesian government's electronic identification card, or e-KTP project. The graft scandal caused state losses of about 2.3 trillion rupiah (S$181.7 million). Tannos is believed to have been living in Singapore since 2012. He was arrested here after the Indonesian government made a provisional arrest request against him. As Tannos fights to be released on bail, a date has been set in June for his committal hearing, which would determine whether he should be extradited to face charges. At the hearing on May 27, he again refused to give consent for him to be extradited to Indonesia. Under the Extradition Act, fugitives can give consent to their extradition and waive extradition proceedings. Indonesia put in a formal extradition request for Tannos on Feb 24. The extradition treaty between Singapore and Indonesia took effect on March 21, 2024. It grants extradition for a list of offences, including corruption, money laundering and bribery, and can be retrospectively applied to crimes committed up to 18 years ago. - The Straits Times/ANN
Straits Times
27-05-2025
- Straits Times
Prosecution looks to strike out fugitive Indonesian's evidence containing allegations against CPIB
Indonesian Paulus Tannos, also known as Tjhin Thian Po, was arrested in Singapore on Jan 17. PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM Prosecution looks to strike out fugitive Indonesian's evidence containing allegations against CPIB SINGAPORE - The prosecution wants to strike out portions of affidavits submitted in a fugitive Indonesian man's bail hearing said to contain allegations against the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB). Paulus Tannos was arrested on Jan 17 by CPIB over corruption allegations in Indonesia, where he had been on its fugitive list since Oct 19, 2021. On May 27, Deputy Senior State Counsel Sivakumar Ramasamy told the court a defence counsel representing Paulus Tannos had on May 15 asked for permission to file an affidavit to tender facts in relation to his admission to Changi General Hospital (CGH) between May 2 and 9. After the court allowed this, two affidavits were submitted - one from Tannos and another from a lawyer named Mr Paulus Sinatra Wijaya. Mr Sivakumar said these were beyond the scope of what the court had allowed. He said parts of Tannos' own affidavit covers his past interaction with the Indonesian authorities and CPIB, replying to points made by a CPIB investigating officer on the issue of him being a flight risk. Mr Sivakumar said these were covered in an earlier bail hearing and legal arguments had been made on these issues. The state counsel said there was no permission for the second affidavit, which also covered Tannos' interactions with Indonesian authorities and CPIB. Mr Sivakumar said the prosecution was applying for this affidavit and portions of the other one to be struck out and disregarded. One of Tannos' lawyers, Hamza Malik, said this was the first time the defence had been notified of this. He asked the court that the application be heard at the start of the bail hearing on May 28, so they could take Tannos' instructions. Mr Sivakumar said he brought this issue up on May 27 so that if the prosecution's application to strike out those parts were not allowed, then it would get permission to file a reply affidavit as Tannos' affidavits contained allegations against CPIB which had to be addressed . He did not specify what these allegations were. District Judge Brenda Tan said she will hear the application on May 28. Separately, the judge referred to a CGH medical report that had been tendered earlier. She said she knows the senior consultant who signed off the medical report and asked if the defence and prosecution had any issue with her being the judge for the bail hearing. While both parties said they had no issue with it, Mr Malik asked if he could discuss this with Tannos. District Judge Tan agreed for the issue to be addressed on May 28. Tannos, also known as Tjhin Thian Po, was president and director of Sandipala Arthaputra, a technology company awarded a contract to produce part of the Indonesian government's electronic ID card or e-KTP project. The graft scandal caused state losses of about 2.3 trillion rupiah (S$180 million). Tannos is believed to have been living in Singapore since 2012. He was arrested here after the Indonesian government made a provisional arrest request against him. As Tannos fights to be released on bail, a date has been set in June for his committal hearing which would determine whether he should be extradited to face charges. At the hearing on May 27, he again refused to give consent for him to be extradited to Indonesia. Under the Extradition Act, fugitives can give consent to their extradition and waive extradition proceedings. Indonesia put in a formal extradition request for Tannos on Feb 24. The extradition treaty between Singapore and Indonesia took effect on March 21, 2024. It grants extradition for a list of offences, including corruption, money laundering and bribery, and can be retrospectively applied to crimes committed up to 18 years ago. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Singapore Law Watch
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Singapore Law Watch
Indonesian fugitive flip-flops in Singapore Court on agreement to extradition
Indonesian fugitive flip-flops in Singapore Court on agreement to extradition Source: Straits Times Article Date: 23 Apr 2025 Author: Christine Tan Indonesia had put in a formal extradition request for Paulus Tannos on Feb 24. An Indonesian businessman, who was arrested in Singapore over corruption allegations, has changed his mind after earlier indicating his willingness to be extradited to Indonesia in a letter to President Prabowo Subianto. Paulus Tannos, who appeared in the State Courts on April 22 via video link, said he is not consenting to his extradition after all. 'At this moment, I do not want to go to Indonesia. 'I will voluntarily go to Indonesia provided the Indonesian court will be fair, with the judge that is not corrupt,' he said. Tannos, who is in his 60s, had reportedly written a letter from Changi Prison to Indonesian President Prabowo and several Indonesian media outlets on April 17, indicating his willingness to return to the country. He said he was willing to face charges filed against him by the Indonesian Corruption Eradication Commission, 'as long as the legal process is fair and conducted by judges with high integrity and free from corruption'. Indonesian media outlet Tempo, which reported on the letter on April 20, said Tannos claimed in his correspondence that the extradition process he was facing was not in accordance with the agreement between Indonesia and Singapore. In response to queries from The Straits Times, a Singapore Ministry of Law (MinLaw) spokeswoman said on April 22: 'Since it appears from Paulus Tannos' letter to the President of Indonesia that he is willing to be extradited, we will ask the court for an immediate hearing to facilitate his request and arrange for the extradition immediately.' Indonesia had put in a formal extradition request for Tannos on Feb 24. The MinLaw spokeswoman said that the extradition request by Indonesia was thoroughly reviewed by Singapore's law enforcement agencies, who have ensured that the requirements of the extradition treaty and Singapore's Extradition Act have been adhered to. The extradition treaty between Singapore and Indonesia took effect on March 21, 2024. It grants extradition for a list of offences, including corruption, money laundering and bribery, and can be retrospectively applied to crimes committed up to 18 years ago. Under the Extradition Act, a fugitive can give consent to his extradition and waive full extradition proceedings. Tannos, also known as Tjhin Thian Po, was president and director of Sandipala Arthaputra, a technology company awarded a contract to produce part of the Indonesian government's electronic ID card or e-KTP project. The graft scandal caused state losses of about 2.3 trillion rupiah (S$180 million). Tannos has reportedly been on Indonesia's fugitive list since Oct 19, 2021, and is believed to have been living in Singapore since 2012. He was arrested on Jan 17 by Singapore's Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau, after the Indonesian government made a provisional arrest request against him. He was in court on April 22 for a bail hearing, where his lawyer Bachoo Mohan Singh argued that his client should be released on bail because he was sick and infirm. Mr Singh said the court can impose conditions upon his client, including restricting Tannos to specific locations, imposing a curfew that stops him from leaving his home after 6pm, and obliging him to contact his investigation officer every day. The lawyer noted that Tannos had 'many interviews' with Indonesia's Corruption Eradication Commission from 2014 to 2024, adding: 'If he had wanted to run, he would have run the first time they came round and talked to him.' Mr Singh argued that the Indonesian authorities did not substantiate their case against Tannos, and that multiple witnesses for the case have already died. Deputy Senior State Counsel Sivakumar Ramasamy disagreed that Tannos' medical conditions were severe enough to warrant bail. He said bail should be considered only if he has a serious illness or physical weakness which cannot be reasonably managed in prison. Mr Sivakumar also countered that at this stage of the proceedings, the court does not need to evaluate the merits of the evidence presented against Tannos. Instead, it would only be applicable for his committal hearing in June, where the court has to determine whether he should be extradited to Indonesia. The bail hearing was eventually adjourned after the defence requested for more time to acquire a medical report. Tannos' case will be heard again on April 28. Christine Tan is a journalist at The Straits Times reporting on crime, justice and social issues in Singapore. Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction. Print
