Indonesia parliament approves extradition treaty with Singapore

Jakarta expects to help authorities bring to justice people accused of stashing offshore billions of dollars of state money in the city-state with the extradition treaty. (Photo: AFP file photo)

Hanoi (VNA) – Indonesia’s parliament on December 15 approved a bilateral extradition treaty with Singapore, expecting that it will help authorities bring to justice people accused of stashing offshore billions of dollars of state money.

The extradition treaty will apply to 31 types of crime and offences committed up to 18 years ago.

After the treaty was approved, Indonesia’s Justice and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly said that the law will give legal certainty for the two countries in the process of extraditing fugitives.

Meanwhile, Singapore assessed the agreement will also be useful to Indonesia's efforts in preventing suspected criminals from fleeing abroad, as well as for the arrest of these subjects in Indonesia.

In 2007, the then Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong witnessed the signing of an extradition treaty and defence cooperation agreement, but it did not come into effect as Indonesia's parliament did not ratify./.