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Narcotics agency prepares for pretrial motion
An officer of the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) said Thursday that his office was ready to deal with a pretrial motion filed by Siti Farida Wulandari, who is detained by the agency for assisting her husband escape police custody
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n officer of the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) said Thursday that his office was ready to deal with a pretrial motion filed by Siti Farida Wulandari, who is detained by the agency for assisting her husband escape police custody.
BNN spokesperson Sr. Comr. Slamet Pribadi said over the phone that his office had not received a summons from the court. However, the agency honored Farida's legal right to file the motion. 'The BNN always bows down to the laws and we are sure that we have conducted all procedures according to the laws,' he said.
The Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta) has filed a pretrial motion with the East Jakarta court on Monday to contest the BNN's decision in naming Farida and her brother, Bagus Yudha, suspects for allegedly hindering police investigations and assisting and hiding a fugitive.
Farida's husband, M. Husin, was one of 10 prisoners who escaped the BNN detention center on March 31. He and two others were previously arrested by the BNN for possessing 25 kilograms of methamphetamine.
While escaping, Husin visited their rented house in Marunda, North Jakarta, took Farida's jewelry and fled, according to Farida's lawyer, Romy Leo Rinaldo of LBH Jakarta.
After arresting Farida on April 5, the agency also placed Yudha in detention on April 10.
Romy said Thursday the BNN criminalized Farida and Yudha, saying that the detainees' escapes were a result of the state's negligence.
'Besides, according to Article 221 of the Criminal Code (KUHP), those who help their immediate family avoid conviction cannot be convicted,' he said, adding that his team would also challenge the arrests and detentions.
'Farida was taken from her house in Marunda, North Jakarta, by a dozen officers on April 5 and had been under arrested ever since without any explanation. The family just received the warrant a week after,' he said recently, 'While the warrant for Yudha has not yet been received by the family.'
The BNN's Slamet contradicted the lawyer's statement. 'The BNN has never arrested anyone without a warrant,' he said.
Slamet has also confirmed that Farida and Yudha were arrested with Husin in Jombang, East Java, on April 4, a statement which Romy did not consider valid.
'We have witnesses who can confirm that Farida was arrested at 2 a.m. in Jakarta. Farida even brought her 2-year-old son, Teuku Rizki, to her sister-in-law's house nearby and asked her to take care of him before the officers took her away,' he said.
On Thursday, Romy and Farida's sister, Sajidah, filed a report to the National Commission on Violence against Women (Komnas Perempuan). (prm)
