Police begin extradition of American wanted in RP

JAKARTA (JP): National Police are now working on extradition papers for 54-year-old Dennis Austin Standefer, recently arrested for overstaying his visa here and wanted by Interpol in Manila for fraud and rape charges, a police source said on Tuesday.

"His papers are being processed. He will be extradited as soon as the papers are ready," the source said.

An officer from Interpol's National Central Bureau, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Manila's Interpol wanted him mainly for fraud and rape of a 16-year-old girl.

"Interpol in Manila have said that Standefer had fooled people over the Internet, by promising to sell them precious artifacts he had discovered from treasure hunts. Standefer was said to have received money for it," the officer said.

"We are only charging Standefer with violation of Indonesia's immigration law. Once the extradition papers are ready, Standefer would be extradited to Manila, for his alleged crimes there."

Should Standefer not be extradited he faces a maximum imprisonment of five years or a maximum fine of Rp 25 million (US$3,380) for breaching Indonesia's immigration law. He had overstayed his immigration permit by at least 10 months.

Accompanied by a representative of the U.S. Embassy here, Standefer, who appeared casual in shorts and a blue T-shirt, looked calm on Tuesday.

"I will tell you the whole story. I have been trapped here," Standefer told The Jakarta Post, before being escorted by Interpol officers here to his detention cell at the National Police headquarters.

On his way to the cell, Standefer and the escorting Interpol officers were shocked by a man who, with a video camera in hand, was filming Standefer's walk to the detention cell.

"Dennis, tell them what you did to little girls. Tell them about D.D., Dennis," said the man, who later introduced himself as Karl Steven Ryll, a teacher at Valle Lindo High School at El Monte, California.

Angered, Standefer pointed at Ryll, saying: "this is the man... I reported him to the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) for date-rape with (the use of) drugs. That's why he's after me."

"I am dead because of you Karl, I am dead because of you."

Meanwhile, Ryll said that for whatever Standefer had done to him, he would like to see Standefer, "live a very long life in prison before he dies."

Ryll said that among other things, Standefer had anonymously written a vicious letter against Ryll to the head of Valle Lindo High, that Ryll used drugs on his dates, before raping them.

"I have followed Dennis ever since," he said. (ylt)