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rosecutors at the Cilacap District Court have demanded a 20-year jail sentence and a Rp 1 billion (US$117,000) fine against Marwan Adli, a former warden at the Nusakambangan Island Narcotics Penitentiary, for his role in distributing drugs and money laundering.

The trial session, which was led by presiding judge Budiarto, began at 9:30 p.m.

In the dossier read out by prosecutor M. Rachman, Marwan was legally proven to have abused his position as a prison warden.

According to Rachman, the defendant was aware of the presence of a drug distribution ring controlled by an inmate named Hartoni Jaya Buana, who was tried in a separate case.

He added that Marwan was proven to have aided Hartoni and was involved in a plot to launder the
financial takings.

Marwan was indicted of violating the laws on narcotics and money laundering.

“As the facts revealed during the trial have met the elements in the indictment, we ask the judges to hand down a 20-year sentence and Rp 1 billion in fine or, in lieu of payment, an additional term of imprisonment for Marwan,” said Eko.

After hearing the sentence demand, judge Budiarto asked whether the defendant would submit his defense or accept the charges.

In response, Marwan said he would file for a plea through his lawyers.

Budiarto said the session would be adjourned for a week to give Marwan’s lawyers a chance to produce a plea.

After the hearing, Marwan disputed the facts presented by prosecutors, according to Antara.

“Those facts were based on the [assumption of] the prosecutors. They were not the facts in the trial. I have never heard of the distribution [of drugs],” he said.

According to Marwan, prosecutors had been influenced by the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) to disclose those facts.

He said he would file for a defense against the charges.

The trial session to hear the sentence demand against Marwan had been postponed up to four times while waiting for prosecutors to prepare the documents.

The hearing on Tuesday was nine hours behind schedule, apparently due to a delay by the Attorney
General’s Office in handing over the indictment to the court.

The delay also affected the sentence demand hearings against eight other defendants in the case, so that judges were forced to hear their cases in a lengthy session starting from 5 p.m. Four defendants had hearings before Marwan.

For May Wulandari, prosecutors demanded a sentence of four years and a Rp 500 million fine; four years and a Rp 500 million fine for Rita Juniarti; three years and a Rp 200 million fine for Dhiko Aldilla; and four years in prison and a Rp 50 million fine for Andhika Permana Dirgantara.