RI ASKS AUSTRALIA TO EXTRADITE FIVE WANTED CRIMINALS

Canberra, March 9 (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government has asked Australia to extradite five Indonesians wanted for banking crimes at home but had made their escape to Australia.

One of them was identified as Adrian Kiki Ariawan, who was convicted for corruption after taking Bank Indonesia Liquidity Assistance (BLBI) funds to a foreign country, presidential spokesman Dino Patti Djalal, a member of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's retinue during his three-day state visit in Australia. said here Tuesday.

"The government has asked Canberra for the extradition of five wanted persons, a matter that was actively discussed before," he said.

According to Dino, the Indonesian government had earlier extradited Hadi Ahmadi, a human trafficker, and two other criminals to Australia.

In return, Indonesia had asked for the extradition of Adrian Kiki and four other unnamed Indonesians wanted on money laundering charges.
Adrian Kiki in 2002 received a life sentence from the Central Jakarta district court. He was declared guilty of having embazzled around Rp1.9 trillion in Bank Indonesia Liquity Assistance (BLBI) funds.

Indonesia's law and human rights ministry had actually put Adrian Kiki on the list of 12 BLBI fugitives who had escaped to foreign countries.
On November 2008, the Australian government captured Adrian Kiki in Perth. The Australian court agreed to extradite Adrian, but the convict made an appeal to Australia's home ministry which was now still condidering the case.