TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Immigration Director-General of the Law and Human Rights Ministry, Jhoni Ginting, said that the Papua New Guinean citizenship status of Joko Tjandra has been revoked by the local government. Joko also did not take off his status as an Indonesian citizen.

“His Papua New Guinean (PNG) passport is only valid for two years. We obtain this information from the Embassy. The passport was then revoked by the PNG government because the Ombudsman doubted the acquisition of the citizenship,” said Jhoni in a hearing with the House of Representatives (DPR) Commission III at the DPR building, Jakarta, Monday, July 13.

Jhoni added that Joko had never denied his Indonesian citizenship. To do so, Joko needed to make a normative statement.

“If he made a letter at that time, made a PNG passport and became a citizen, he must have submitted his passport to our representatives in a normative and procedural way. But he did not do so,” Jhoni added.

Jhoni further reiterated that if a person wishes to renounce his or her citizenship, he or she must make a procedural submission, which will lead to the president’s decision.

Joko Tjandra, a fugitive in the Bank Bali debt case, fled to Port Moresby of Papua New Guinea in 2009, exactly one day before the Supreme Court's ruling was issued.

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ACHMAD HAMUDI ASSEGAF