AGO impatient with delay in graft convict’s extradition from Oz

The Attorney General's Office (AGO) says it becoming impatient with the Australian authorities’ prolonged delay in extraditing fugitive Indonesian graft convict Adrian Kiki Irawan.

"The matter has got me a bit impatient," the deputy attorney general Darmono said Friday.

After arresting the Bank Indonesia Liquidity Support (BLBI) graft convict, the Australian authorities failed to immediately extradite Adrian to Indonesia despite requests from the Indonesian government.

Australian authorities cited the country's legal system and the need for an extradition trial as the reasons behind the delay.

After the court ruled for extradition in 2010, Adrian filed for judicial review, which led the Australian Federal Court to order the postponement of Adrian's extradition.

The AGO was assured by the Australian authorities that a ruling would be reached by June this year, but has since learned that it will be delayed.

"We received news from the Law and Human Rights Ministry based on information from the Australian government that the ruling has been extended until September," Darmono said.

Darmono said he was confused by the steps taken by Australia in handling the case.

"I don't understand how the Australian Constitution works," Darmono said.

"They acknowledged, back then, that the legal process in Australia is complicated, and that it had to be evaluated because it does not guarantee justice," he explained.

"But now it is even more complicated," Darmono said.

Adrian Kiki Ariawan, former president director of the now defunct Bank Surya who has evaded arrest for his part in a BLBI graft case, was arrested in Perth on Nov. 28.

In November 2002, Adrian was found guilty in absentia of misappropriating Rp 1.9 trillion (US$175 million) under the BLBI scheme in 1997 and sentenced to life in prison. (awd)