TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:Indonesian ambassador to Thailand, Muhammad Hatta, said fugitive Nunun Nurbaetie was finally tracked down in Laos four months ago. Nunun is a suspect in the House of Representatives’ (DPR) travelers’ check corruption case related to Bank Indonesia’s senior deputy governor election in 2004.
“We got the information before the Thai court ordered Nunun’s arrest in July,” Hatta told Tempo yesterday.
After the court’s verdict was issued, he said, Nunun could not be found. The Thai police have distributed a notice about Nunun’s escape. However, Hatta has not received any information from the Thai police.
The Indonesian Police have denied that Nunun has returned to Indonesia. “If she had returned, we would’ve caught her,” public relations chief, Insp. Gen. Saud Nasution, said yesterday.
Saud also denied that Nunun was accompanied by a policewoman during her escape and that Nunun was protected by her family’s business network while on the run.
Concerning a recent photograph of Nunun, which was published exclusively at Tempo.co, Hatta confirmed that it was taken in Singapore as the background showed a building with the words “Celine”.
“I know that place is in Mandarin Orchard in Singapore. I used to have coffee just across from it. There’s no such place in Thailand,” said Hatta. The photograph showed Nunun in a shopping center with a woman.
Nunun’s former doctor, Dr Andreas Harry, claimed he recommended his patient continue her activities despite her acute amnesia. “It’s normal if a sick person goes out,” he said yesterday.
Corruption Eradication Commission’s (KPK) spokesman Johan Budi said the KPK had coordinated with the Foreign Ministry, the Justice and Human Rights Ministry as well as the Indonesian Police when the Thai Court decided to arrest Nunun.
“The KPK can’t arrest a suspect overseas,” he said yesterday.
