Australian Embassy to Hand over Data on Hendra Rahardjas Assets to the Indonesian Government

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:The Australian Embassy in Indonesia is to hand over data on assets belonging to Hendra Rahardja, an Indonesian convicted in the embezzlement of Bank Indonesia Liquidity Support (BLBI) funding, to the Indonesian government. A representative of the Australian Embassy in Indonesia made this statement to Minister of Justice and Human Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra in Jakarta on Monday (27/01). There will be an apology delivered for the delay relating to Rahardjas case, Mahendra told reporters at his office in Jakarta on Tuesday (28/01). It is likely that the Australian Embassy will deliver the data on Rahardjas assets in Hong Kong to Mahendra on Wednesday (29/01). Rahardja passed away on Sunday (26/01) in Sydney, Australia, because of kidney cancer. He was sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment by the Central Jakarta District Court in March 2002. Rahardja, the former BHS Bank chief commissioner, fled Indonesia and was arrested in Australia on June 1, 1999, by immigration officials at Sydneys Kingsford-Smith International Airport on a warrant from Indonesian authorities circulated by Interpol. Indonesia had been trying without success to have him extradited. According to Mahendra, all matters related to Rahardjas debts must be settled by his heirs. Although the ruling on Rahardja no more prevails due to his death, the legal consequences of the case, such as the debts penalty payment or seizure on the wealth of the convicted, must continue. The debts are automatically borne by Rahardjas heirs. So, his heirs must hand over their wealth to the state, Mahendra said. He added that there was a need for a separation between personal and company wealth. (Anggoro Gunawan-Tempo News Room)