Jakarta. Corruption fugitive Paulus Tannos is resisting extradition to Indonesia and seeking release from detention in Singapore, an Indonesian official said Monday.

Paulus was named a suspect in 2019 in the multi-trillion-rupiah corruption case surrounding Indonesia’s electronic ID card (e-ID) project. His company, Shandipala Arthaputra, was awarded a contract to produce 44 percent of the e-ID cards under the Rp 5.9 trillion ($364.8 million) project.

He was added to Indonesia’s wanted list on October 19, 2021 -- two years after being formally named a suspect -- amid a lengthy legal battle. Paulus was eventually arrested in Singapore on January 17, 2025, under the newly enacted extradition treaty between Indonesia and Singapore, which came into effect in March 2024.

“Paulus Tannos is currently fighting for his release in Singaporean court, and the Indonesian government continues urging the Attorney-General’s Chambers of Singapore to reject his appeal,” said Widodo, Director General of Public Legal Administration at the Justice Ministry.

A court hearing on his case in Singapore has been scheduled for June 23–25. Indonesia formally requested his extradition on February 20 and reinforced the request through diplomatic channels on April 23, according to Widodo.

“There are ongoing legal proceedings in Singapore, and Paulus continues to refuse surrender to Indonesian authorities,” Widodo said.

In an apparent attempt to escape prosecution, Paulus also sought to renounce his Indonesian citizenship. Justice Minister Supratman Andi Agtas previously revealed that Paulus had obtained a passport from Guinea-Bissau, a small West African nation. However, the Indonesian government rejected his request to renounce citizenship due to the ongoing criminal case.

While Indonesia does not permit dual citizenship, simply holding a foreign passport does not automatically nullify one’s Indonesian nationality. “As of today, Paulus Tannos -- also known as Tjin Tian Po -- remains an Indonesian citizen,” Supratman said on January 29.

Paulus was previously tracked to Thailand in 2023, but local authorities declined to detain him due to his Guinea-Bissau passport. Despite efforts by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), including dispatching a team to Bangkok, Paulus evaded capture.

The e-ID project, initiated between 2011 and 2013 during President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s administration, aimed to modernize Indonesia’s identification system by introducing chip-based ID cards with unique personal numbers linked to a central government database.

The project later unraveled into a major corruption scandal that implicated several senior officials, including former House of Representatives Speaker Setya Novanto, who was among those convicted.

In 2019, Paulus was named a suspect alongside three others: former State Printing Company CEO Isnu Edhy Wijaya, ex-lawmaker Miryam Haryani, and IT expert Husni Fahmi.

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