Police seek go-ahead to execute drug convicts<\/p>\n
Abdul Khalik, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The National Police announced on Sunday that they were preparing
\na firing squad on standby to execute the drug dealers currently
\non death row, but the Attorney General's Office (AGO) said it had
\nno immediate plans regarding their execution.<\/p>\n
"We have designated officers to carry out the executions.
\nHowever, we will have to wait for an order from the prosecutorial
\nauthorities ... We hope they will issue such an instruction
\nsoon," National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar said during an
\nantidrug rally in Senayan, South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Separately on Sunday, an AGO spokesman said all convicted
\ndrugs dealers were appealing their sentences.<\/p>\n
"Our data shows that there are no convicts to be executed in
\nthe near future; they have all appealed to higher courts. We must
\nwait for this process to end before planning executions," Kemas
\nYahya Rahman told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
But police data shows that at least four of the convicts have
\nhad their appeals rejected by the Supreme Court and the President
\nrejected their pleas for clemency.<\/p>\n
National Narcotics Agency (BNN) director Comr. Gen. Togar
\nSianipar said that four out of the around 30 convicts on death
\nrow should have been executed several months ago after their
\nrequests for presidential pardons were rejected.<\/p>\n
"They must be executed as soon as possible to show our
\nsincerity in eradicating drug trafficking. These executions would
\nhave a deterrent effect on other dealers," he told the Post.<\/p>\n
He was referring to a number of big-time death-row offenders
\nwhose death sentences were upheld by the Supreme Court in 2001.
\nTheir requests for clemency were also rejected by the President.<\/p>\n
Under Laws No. 22\/1997 on narcotics and No. 5\/1997 on
\npsychotropic substances, certain drug offenses carry a maximum
\nsentence of death. The defendant may however appeal to the high
\ncourt and later to the Supreme Court.<\/p>\n
Then although the Supreme Court hands down a ruling, a
\nconvicted person may still ask the Court to review the case based
\non new evidence, and then file up to two requests for
\npresidential pardon as stipulated in Law No. 3\/1950 on clemency.<\/p>\n
In the last 10 years only one person sentenced to death for
\ndrug offenses has been executed -- -- Malaysian Chan Ting Tong
\nalias Steven Chong. The failure to execute those given the death
\npenalty had caused an increase in the number of drugs cases over
\nthe last three years, Togar argued.<\/p>\n
Togar's office and the University of Indonesia have found that
\naround 4 percent of the population or around nine million people,
\nused drugs in 2003, an increase of almost 400 percent compared to
\nthe 2002 figure. "Medication for one addict costs Rp 5 million
\nper month, so for some nine million addicts mean we have to spend
\naround Rp 45 trillion per month on medication alone," said Togar.<\/p>\n
4 convicts whose clemency pleas have been rejected<\/p>\n
by President<\/p>\n
=====================================================<\/p>\n
No. Convict Nationality District Court<\/p>\n
=====================================================<\/p>\n
1. Ayodhya Prasadh Chaubey Indian Medan<\/p>\n
2. Deni Setia Maharwan Indonesian Tangerang<\/p>\n
3. Meirika Franola Indonesian Tangerang<\/p>\n
4. Rani Andriani Indonesian Tangerang<\/p>\n
Source: National Narcotics Agency (BNN)<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/police-seek-go-ahead-to-execute-drug-convicts-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }