Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – Indonesian President Joko Widodo received a visit of Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in Indonesia’s Bintan district, Riau Islands province on Tuesday (Jan. 25).

A number of agreements were reached during the meeting between the two leaders, including that on an extradition treaty.

In the new agreement, the retroactive period was extended from 15 years to 18 years, in accordance with Indonesia’s Article 78 of the Criminal Code.

With this agreement, the Indonesian government can repatriate fugitive criminals and corruptors who have fled to Singapore, and vice versa.

Apart from Singapore, Indonesia already has extradition treaties with Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Australia, China’s Hong Kong and South Korea.

Singapore has often been a 'paradise' for fugitives, especially corruptors, to escape from legal bondage in Indonesia because the two countries do not yet have an extradition treaty, even though both parties have initiated an extradition treaty since 1972.

Discussions on the draft extradition treaty began in 2004, and have been tough. The two countries just signed it on April 27, 2007 in Bali.

Although it has been signed, the agreement cannot be effective until it is ratified by the Indonesian House of Representatives.

Reporting by Indonesia Window