Jakarta. Graft fugitive Paulus Tannos has attempted to renounce his Indonesian citizenship in an apparent effort to evade prosecution, Justice Minister Supratman Andi Agtas said on Wednesday.

Paulus is currently being detained by Singaporean authorities at the request of the Indonesian government, which is seeking his extradition over his alleged involvement in a major corruption scandal related to the national electronic ID card (e-ID) project. The case reportedly caused state losses of approximately Rp 2.3 trillion ($142 million).

The CEO of technology company Shandipala Arthaputra has been on Indonesia’s fugitive list since October 19, 2021, two years after being named a suspect in the corruption case.

"Allow me to inform you that the suspect has twice submitted requests to renounce his Indonesian citizenship," Supratman said at a press conference in Jakarta.

He revealed that Paulus had obtained a passport from Guinea-Bissau, a West African nation, but the Indonesian government could not approve his request to renounce his citizenship due to the ongoing legal proceedings against him. While Indonesia does not recognize dual citizenship, simply holding a foreign passport does not automatically revoke a person’s Indonesian nationality, the minister explained.

"Paulus Tannos, also known as Tjin Tian Po, remains an Indonesian citizen as of today," Supratman said.

The government is expediting his extradition process to ensure he can be prosecuted in Indonesia before his detention period in Singapore expires.

"We have 45 days from the date of his arrest to complete the necessary documentation for extradition, but I assure you we won’t need to wait until March 3. The process will be concluded soon," Supratman added.

Paulus was previously detected in Thailand in 2023, but authorities there declined to arrest him, citing his possession of a Guinea-Bissau passport. Despite the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) sending a team to Bangkok, they were unable to secure his capture.

His escape came to an end on January 17, when he was arrested in Singapore. The arrest was made possible due to the extradition treaty between Indonesia and Singapore, which took effect in March 2024.

Paulus’ company, Shandipala Arthaputra, was awarded a contract to produce 44 percent of the e-ID cards as part of a Rp 5.9 trillion ($364.8 million) project.

The e-ID card initiative, launched between 2011 and 2013 during the presidency of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, was designed to modernize Indonesia’s identification system by introducing chip-embedded ID cards with unique personal identification numbers registered with the state.

However, the project became mired in corruption scandals, implicating several top officials. Among the most high-profile figures convicted was former House of Representatives Speaker Setya Novanto.

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

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