Chief Justice upholds decision to deny bail to Indonesian fugitive fighting extradition

The High Court has upheld the decision made by the State Courts to refuse bail to an Indonesian businessman allegedly involved in a high-profile corruption case in his country.

- Nadine Chua

Paulus Tannos, 70, was arrested in Singapore on Jan 17 after being on Indonesia’s fugitive list since October 2021.

Tannos was said to be implicated in a major graft scandal involving the Indonesian government’s electronic ID card or e-KTP project, which allegedly caused state losses of about 2.3 trillion rupiah (S$178 million).

In a hearing on Oct 2 presided over by Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, Tannos had his appeal for bail denied.

The defence, led by Mr Suang Wijaya of law firm Eugene Thuraisingam, argued that Tannos had medical conditions that justified him being allowed bail.

These conditions included chest discomfort, the narrowing of heart valves and diabetes.