Indonesia’s parliament on Thursday approved an extradition treaty with Singapore that will help Jakarta track down corruption suspects who have taken sanctuary or stored money offshore in the city state.
The Indonesian government is trying to retrieve billions of dollars in bailout money handed out during financial crises in the late 1990s and 2008 never repaid by suspects Jakarta calls economic criminals believed to be hiding in Singapore.
Indonesian officials have for years complained about what they say is the freedom enjoyed by fugitives in the neighbouring country where they have allegedly pumped hundreds of millions of dollars into banks and property.