PEKANBARU, Indonesia (Feb. 14, 2025) – Nader Thaher, a corruption fugitive who had evaded justice for 19 years, was arrested Thursday evening in Bandung by a joint team from the Attorney General’s Office and the Riau Prosecutors’ Office. Thaher is now facing charges for his involvement in a Rp 35.9 billion corruption case linked to state-owned Bank Mandiri.
Thaher’s arrest followed a long-running investigation into a 2002 corruption case, where he had received loans from Bank Mandiri for an oil rig supply project with Caltex Pacific Indonesia. The loans, however, were never repaid, and Thaher was subsequently convicted of corruption.
In 2006, the Pekanbaru District Court sentenced Thaher to 14 years in prison, a sentence which was later reduced by the Riau High Court. Despite the ruling, Thaher was able to escape detention due to procedural issues with the Supreme Court. After his release, Thaher fled the country, changing his identity and living under the alias H Tony.
Despite his efforts to conceal his identity and frequently change his residence, including living abroad, authorities were able to trace him back to Indonesia. Riau Chief Prosecutor Akmal Abbas commented on the arrest, saying, “There is no place to hide. Sooner or later, you will be arrested.”
At the time of his arrest, Thaher was 69 years old. After his capture, he was flown to Riau to serve his prison sentence.
