Indonesia Recovers IDR 82.7 Billion in Assets from Fugitive Eddy Tansil

Indonesian authorities have taken a significant step in recovering assets linked to convicted fraudster Eddy Tansil, who fled the country three decades ago. On Monday, the head of the Asset Recovery Agency (BPA) at the Attorney General's Office, Kuntadi, formally handed over assets valued at IDR 82.7 billion to Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa. The assets were recovered through a voluntary surrender scheme and negotiations with state-owned Bank Mandiri, which had previously held control over the properties.

The recovered assets include IDR 51.7 billion in cash and several parcels of land and buildings. Among the properties are a 1,550-square-meter plot with four villas in Megamendung, Bogor; a 26,403-square-meter plot with a factory building formerly used by PT Rimba Subur Sejahtera (ex-Becks Beer factory) in Gunung Putri, Bogor; and 18 vacant land plots in Serang, Banten, acquired since 2025. The estimated value of the land and buildings is approximately IDR 31 billion.

Attorney General ST Burhanuddin emphasized transparency in the process, stating, "I don't want us to be suspicious of each other. The public trusts us, and we prove to the public that our work is open and we will hand it over to the Ministry of Finance." Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa praised the recovery effort, noting that the case serves as a reminder that state losses must not be forgotten. "Whoever harms the state, no matter how much time passes, we will pursue. Time may pass, but the state's rights must not be lost," he said.

Eddy Tansil was convicted in the 1990s for embezzling credit from the state-owned Bank Pembangunan Indonesia (Bapindo), causing an estimated IDR 1.3 trillion in losses. He escaped from Cipinang Prison in 1996 and is believed to be living in China. The Supreme Court had ordered him to pay IDR 500 billion in restitution plus a IDR 30 million fine, but a majority of the debt remains outstanding. The recovered assets represent a fraction of the total losses.

Anti-corruption activist Boyamin Saiman of the Indonesian Anti-Corruption Society (MAKI) criticized the slow pace of recovery, calling for stronger legal tools. "The only way to turn the situation around is through an Asset Forfeiture Law because it includes tracing, restrictions on cash currency, and the like," he said. The case highlights ongoing challenges in pursuing fugitives and recovering illicit assets decades after the crime.