FUGITIVE businessman Djoko Tjandra, who is wanted in Indonesia for graft charges, is believed to be residing in Malaysia.
Djoko failed to attend for the third time a hearing of a case review he filed against his conviction and requested for the hearing to be held virtually, The Jakarta Post reported on July 21.
His attorney Andi Putra Kusuma read out a letter signed by Djoko in Kuala Lumpur on July 17, citing health issues as the reason for his absence.
Another of Djoko’s lawyer, Anita Kolopaking, also confirmed the businessman’s current status of residence in Malaysia.
“His exact position is in Kuala Lumpur,” Anita said at an Indonesian current affairs talk show last night.
Djoko, 68, hails from the family that founded the Mulia Group, which is led by billionaire Eka Tjandranegara.
Djoko was involved in the Bank Bali scandal, which saw billions of rupiah embezzled from state bailout funds for the 1998 Asian financial crisis. He was acquitted in 2000 but later convicted in 2009 after Indonesia’s Attorney General’s Office filed a request for review. He has remained at large ever since his conviction.
In that talk show, Indonesia’s former attorney-general HM Prasetyo also alleged that his Malaysian counterpart, Apandi Ali, suggested dropping the 2009 conviction against Djoko.
“I remember it very well […] we were in the middle of attending the congress. Among fellow attorney-generals in Asean and China, we have a close relationship.
“Because of our close cooperation, this friend of ours, Malaysia’s attorney-general Apandi Ali, took time to speak to me,” Prasetyo said.
Malaysiakini contacted Apandi for comment but the former AG declined.
Meanwhile, news publication Tempo reported yesterday that Indonesian police were working with the Royal Malaysian Police to track Djoko’s whereabouts. – July 23, 2020
