Indonesian Who Fled From Country For Corruption & Illegal Logging Has Been Caught by S’pore Authorities After 13 Years

The notorious Indonesian businessman, Adelin Lis, has been dealt with in Singapore for immigration offences.

According to The Straits Times, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) noted that he had committed immigration offences in Singapore and was convicted of making false declarations to obtain a visit pass on multiple occasions in 2017 and 2018.

He was arrested back on 28 May 2018. On 9 June this year, he was fined S$14,000 for his offences.

Adelin had falsely declared in his disembarkation form that he had never used a passport under a different name in Singapore.

Evidently, one of his charges—using an Indonesian passport with the name “Hendro Leonardi” and different birth date to enter Singapore—proved that he was lying.

Indonesia’s Attorney-General’s Office (AGO) said in a statement on Wednesday that the Singapore authorities had checked with the Indonesian embassy in Singapore if the two names belonged to the same person.

“Based on the data available at the Directorate-General of Immigration, it is confirmed that the two people are the same,” said AGO spokesman Leonard Eben Ezer Simanjuntak. Both names had shared the same immigration data.

The 63-year-old man had pleaded guilty to four immigration-related charges. Another eleven charges, including the aforementioned charge, were taken into consideration by the court during his sentencing.

Destroyer of Forests

It’s honestly astounding how some people are so willing to trade the environment for capital gains because well, capitalism makes the world go round.

Unfortunately, they don’t seem to realise that they (or their family) won’t be around to use the money if they continue to wreck the planet.

Adelin Lis is one of those people. In Indonesia, he was known as the destroyer of forests by environmentalists.

His devastating actions go as far back as the early 2000s. In August 2008, Indonesia’s Supreme Court found him guilty of corruption and illegal logging in North Sumatra province and sentenced him to 10 years in prison and a fine of 110 billion rupiah (~ S$10 million).

This verdict overturned a previous acquittal by a lower court in November 2007, which was criticised by the public for insufficient field investigation and the lack of consideration of witness testimonies by the judges.

Adelin is the son of the owner of PT Mujur Timber, a wood-processing company in Sibolga, North Sumatra.

“He’s a big fish. His business in the downstream and upstream logging sector and his illegal logging activities, including business in oil palm plantations, have destroyed forests and caused state losses,” said Mr Arie Rompas, forest campaign team leader of environmental group Greenpeace Indonesia.

Furthermore, in 2006, Adelin and his bodyguards had resisted arrest at the Indonesian embassy in Beijing and beat up the embassy staff before fleeing.

He was placed on both the Interpol’s Red Notice, issued for fugitives wanted either for prosecution or to serve a sentence, and the wanted list of the North Sumatra Prosecutor’s Office since July 2012.

The Indonesian Attorney-General hoped that the Indonesian law enforcement officers would be allowed “a special pick-up of this high-profile fugitive” from Singapore. However, this was rejected by the ICA.

The authority emphasised that the repatriation of all undesirable foreigners is independently conducted by Singapore authorities and.

“In accordance with ICA’s established procedure, Adelin Lis will be repatriated to his country of origin as soon as his commercial flight arrangement is confirmed,” they added.

Featured Image: Facebook (Seputar Madina)