Ralph Marshall, the group chief executive officer of Astro All Asia Networks, is on the wanted persons list of the Indonesian police.

He has been accused of misusing operational funds worth US$90 million belonging to Astro Nusantara, an Astro venture in Indonesia.

NONE According to Indonesian media Jakarta Globe , the police is also in the process of requesting Interpol to issue a ‘red notice’ against Marshall ( right ).

A ‘red notice’ seeks the arrest of a wanted person with a view to extradition.

The report cited Abimanyu Kameshwara, an attorney for First Media subsidiary Ayunda Prima Mitra, as saying that Marshall has been accused of misusing US$90 million in operational funds of Astro Nusantara.

First Media is part of the Lippo Group, one of Indonesia’s largest conglomerates with interests in finance, property and infrastructure.

A pay television company partly owned by Ayunda Prima Mitra, Direct Vision, partnered with Astro from 2006 to 2008 to provide satellite television service for Indonesians under the Astro Nusantara trademark.

Astro Nusantara ceased operations in October 2008 due to a commercial dispute between Astro and Lippo Group.

Astro is controlled by Malaysian tycoon Ananda Krishnan, the second richest person in Southeast Asia.

On the other hand, Astro has asked the Indonesian police for clarification regarding Marshall’s criminal case.

Hafzan Taher, a lawyer for Astro, said the allegations against Marshall were groundless and “misleading”, the Jakarta Globe reported.

“Ralph Marshall never had an operational function in Direct Vision nor did he ever have responsibility in the company,” Hafzan’s law firm, Soemadipradja & Taher, said in a statement.

Earlier, it was reported that India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had filed a case against Ananda for his alleged role in graft involving Astro and telecommunications giant Maxis.

CBI, an anti-corruption agency, has requested legal assistance from Malaysian authorities to trace the possible involvements of Ananda and Marshall in the Astro-Maxis scandal.