Indonesia to extradite Singaporean wanted in US

The Indonesian Government has decided to extradite a Singaporean wanted in the United States for allegedly smuggling electronic parts from the US to Iran, Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday (Mar 31).

The decision to extradite Mr Lim Yong Nam from the Indonesian island of Batam follows a presidential decree issued President Joko Widodo, MFA said. "Singapore respects this outcome as a function of Indonesia’s laws and judicial process," it added.

MFA said its consulate in Batam has been providing regular consular assistance to Mr Lim since his detention in Indonesia and has informed Mr Lim of this latest development.

It has also contacted the relevant US authorities and requested information on the legal process that Mr Lim will face in the US. "We have also requested the US to ensure that Mr Lim is accorded his due legal rights. MFA will continue to discharge our consular responsibilities by providing Mr Lim with the necessary assistance," the ministry stated.

Mr Lim was arrested in Batam in October 2014 after he was placed on Interpol's Red Notice list. He and four other Singaporeans were accused of breaching a US trade embargo against Iran between 2007 and 2008. He was one of two Singaporeans who were not extradited to the US. The other two - Lim Kow Seng and Hia Soon Gan, Benson - were extradited and pleaded guilty in 2013 in the States to conspiracy to defraud the US by dishonest means.
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In 2012, the Singapore High Court had rejected the United States' request for Lim's extradition. The court said this was because Lim's alleged wrongdoing in the US was not considered an offence in Singapore.