An Indonesian anti-graft group has raised suspicions that one of the Republic’s most wanted corruption suspects, oil tycoon Riza Chalid, remains in Malaysia pending execution of an Interpol red notice and deportation.
Masyarakat Anti-Korupsi Indonesia (Maki) spokesperson Boyamin Saiman said there had been no further indication that Riza (above) had left Malaysia, where the 66-year-old billionaire was last believed to reside, according to news reports up to December last year.
“He was previously suspected of having gone to Japan, but later returned to Malaysia.
“I suspect he is still in Malaysia, especially because his passport has been revoked,” Boyamin told Malaysiakini.
Indonesia’s news agency Antara yesterday quoted Interpol’s Indonesia National Bureau secretary Untung Widyatmoko, who said a red notice against Riza, dubbed the “Gasoline Godfather”, had been issued to 190 countries on Jan 23.
“We can confirm that the individual is in an Interpol member country, and his location has been mapped and placed under surveillance.
“Our team is in the country concerned,” Untung said.
A red notice is a “request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action” - based on an arrest warrant or court order issued by the judicial authorities in the requesting country.
Alleged corruption involving Pertamina
Last December, Indonesia’s Immigration and Correction Minister Agus Andrianto reportedly said Riza’s last known residence was in Malaysia.
The update came four months after Indonesian prosecutors named him as a suspect in a corruption case involving state-owned oil and gas giant Pertamina, which also saw Indonesian authorities revoke Riza’s passport, further limiting his movements.
Riza is said to be the beneficial owner of PT Tangki Merak and PT Orbit Terminal Merak. He is accused of profiteering from an inflated fuel storage lease agreement.
Seventeen individuals, including current and former Pertamina executives, have been arrested in connection with the case, which reportedly resulted in 286 trillion rupiah (RM67.2 billion) in losses.
Charges against son
Commenting further, Boyamin said that ongoing trials against the 17 individuals also involved charges against Riza’s son, Kerry Adrianto, accused of profiting from inflated procurement deals that resulted in close to three trillion rupiah in losses for Pertamina.
“Developments in the ongoing trials could have added pressure on authorities to expedite Riza’s arrest,” he added.
Last July, Boyamin urged Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, who was at the time scheduled to hold an official bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in Jakarta, to push for Riza’s return if found to be in Malaysia.
In response, Anwar reiterated that Malaysia will not interfere in ongoing legal proceedings against Riza and that, while he knew the billionaire in passing, he was unaware of his whereabouts. - Mkini
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