Indonesia Recovery

Hendra Rahardja was tried in the Central Jakarta District court for misusing 1.95 trillion rupiah [USD 216.7 million] in liquidity credits loaned by the Indonesian central bank. He was convicted in absentia on 22 March 2002 and sentenced to life in prison, fined  Rp 30 million, and required to pay indemnities worth Rp1.9 trillion [USD 280 million].

While his sentence was later upheld by the Supreme Court of Indonesia, Rahardja did not serve any part of his sentence. At the time of his death on 26 January 2003 he was imprisoned in Australia awaiting extradition to Indonesia. 

Part of the delay in extradition and the repatriation of Rahardja's assets was caused by complications arising from Australia's request to have Abu Quessey, an Egyptian named as the main suspect in the smuggling of illegal immigrants to Australia, extradited to their rather than Egypt in a quid pro quo arrangement. The Indonesian government remained reluctant to negotiate the issue with the Australian government as it considers this will not result on the hoped for solution. Abu Quessey was extradited back to Egypt and convicted in December 2003 rather than in Australia.

To recover Rahardja's assets left in Australia, the Indonesian Attorney General's Office (AGO) decided not to file a civil lawsuit, but rather to petition the appropriate Australian court. See Australian Recovery for more information about Indonesia's efforts to recover Rahardja's assets in Australia.