Ambassador confirms Hendra's arrest<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian Ambassador to Australia Wirjono
\nSastrohandoyo confirmed on Friday the arrest of Hendra Rahardja,
\none of Indonesia's most wanted white-collar criminal suspects, by
\nthe Australian Federal Police last week.<\/p>\n
\"My staff and I have not yet met the detainee face to face,
\nbut we strongly believe that the man currently locked up by the
\nAustralian police is Hendra Rahardja as stated in a notice sent
\nrecently to the embassy by the Australian attorney general,\"
\nWirjono told The Jakarta Post from Canberra.<\/p>\n
Hendra fled the country two years ago following the
\nliquidation of his two banks -- Bank Harapan Sentosa (BHS) and
\nBank Guna International.<\/p>\n
However, there is speculation that the man arrested by
\nAustralian police at Kingsford-Smith International Airport in
\nSydney on June 1 is not the right man, following remarks made by
\nHendra's former lawyer, Alamsyah Hanafiah.<\/p>\n
Alamsyah, who was Hendra's lawyer at the time his banks were
\nliquidated, told the Post on Thursday night that Hendra's
\nrelatives, including those living overseas, had told him the
\nformer bank owner was not in police custody and was abroad.<\/p>\n
The lawyer was unable to be reached on Friday for further
\ncomment.<\/p>\n
Hendra's arrest was announced by National Police chief Gen.
\nRoesmanhadi on Thursday.<\/p>\n
According to the secretary of Interpol's National Central
\nBureau, Brig. Gen. Wayan Ardjana, Hendra was arrested at the
\nSydney airport after a flight from Hong Kong.<\/p>\n
Hendra, the brother of fugitive Eddy Tansil, allegedly fled
\nthe country to avoid arrest following the liquidation of his two
\nbanks, which have total assets worth an estimated Rp 4.7 trillion
\n(US$602.6 million).<\/p>\n
When asked last night about Alamsyah's findings, officer Wayan
\nsaid: \"They (the lawyer and Hendra's relatives) can say whatever
\nthey want but we, the police, insist that the man is the real
\nHendra, who has been wanted by the country for years.\"<\/p>\n
The officer speculated that Hendra's relatives attempted to
\nhide the shameful story of the fugitive's arrest.<\/p>\n
Wayan claimed the identity of Hendra had been verified against
\ncopies of fingerprints, passports and photographs sent by Jakarta
\nto Sydney authorities shortly after the arrest.<\/p>\n
Both Wayan and Ambassador Wirjono acknowledged the extradition
\nof Hendra would not be imposed by the Australian government in
\nthe immediate future.<\/p>\n
\"Basically, the process of extradition won't be too
\ncomplicated, but it takes time due to the legal process,\" Wirjono
\nsaid. (bsr)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ambassador-confirms-hendras-arrest-1447893297",
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