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View all search resultsProsecutors reject sailor's defense plea in 2-tonne drug smuggling case
Fandi Ramadan is closer to the death penalty after prosecutors rejected his defense plea.
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Fandi Ramadan's father Sulaiman (sitting left) and mother (sitting center) listen as top lawyer Hotman Paris talks during a meeting on Feb. 20 in Jakarta. Fandi, a ship crewman who had been working for only three days, faces the death penalty in a drug smuggling case. (TikTok/@hotmanparisofficialf)
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rosecutors refused a sailor’s defense plea in the smuggling case of nearly two tonnes of sabu (amphetamine) and requested the public not to intervene in the trial, after the death penalty charges became viral.
Fandi Ramadan and five other defendants are closer to death penalty after prosecutors read their replik (answer) responding to the defendants’ pledoi (defense notes after sentence demand) during at trial at Batam District Court in Batam, Riau Islands, on Wednesday.
Prosecutors Muhammad Arvian and Aditya Octavian took turns in reading the response to Fandi’s defense, which they said was misleading and not in line with facts revealed during the trial.
The prosecutors rejected Fandi’s argument that he was only a victim being lied to by witness Hasiholan Samosir regarding the change of ship from MV North Star to MT Sea Dragon, a tanker carrying 1,995,130 grams of sabu, where the six defendants were arrested.
Prosecutors said that Fandi’s argument, that he only received a seafairer employment agreement without checking the discrepancy, was not logical. They said Fandi was educated and possesses sailing certificates.
“The defendant should not have departed if he saw a discrepancy in his place of work,” Aditya told the trial, presided by judge Tiwik.
Prosecutors also laid out several facts showing Fandi’s active involvement in the case. He allegedly used an unofficial agent and got on board the ship using a speedboat in the middle of the sea. His sailor book does not have stamps from the harbor master, while his work contract mentioned MV North Star but he still boarded MT Sea Dragon without questioning it.
