ABK Fandi Escapes the Death Penalty, Lawyer Says He Should Be Free
ABK Fandi Ramadhan Escapes the Death Penalty, Lawyer Says He Should Be Free
Despite avoiding the threat of the death penalty, Fandi Ramadhan, an ABK aboard the Sea Dragon, has not fully accepted the Batam District Court’s five-year prison sentence for his involvement in smuggling two tonnes of methamphetamine in waters off the Kepulauan Riau.
Fandi’s lawyer, Bahtiar Batubara, argued that his client should be acquitted based on the evidence presented at trial, though the decision ultimately depends on his family. ‘We were given seven days; we will confer later,’ Batubara said.
Earlier, the panel chaired by Chief Judge Tiwik sentenced Fandi to five years in prison. ‘Sentencing the defendant Fandi Ramadhan to five years in prison,’ the judge read.
The courtroom atmosphere was crowded after the verdict. Fandi received a warm hug from his mother, while the bench urged all parties to remain calm to allow proceedings to continue.
The sentence was far lighter than the prosecution’s demand for the death penalty; the deputy prosecutors (JPU) were still weighing the five-year sentence.
After the verdict, Fandi’s family attempted to approach him but security and prosecutors escorted him to a detention vehicle.
Fandi Ramadhan, ABK Sea Dragon, escaped the death penalty in the two-ton drug-smuggling case in the Kepulauan Riau. The Batam District Court panel sentenced him to five years.
Hasbiallah Ilyas urged law-enforcement authorities to be transparent in handling the Fandi Ramadhan case, the Sea Dragon ABK facing the death penalty in the two-ton drug case.
The five-year sentence for Fandi Ramadhan is far below the prosecution’s request for the death penalty.
Chairman of Commission XIII of the DPR, Willy Aditya, criticised the death-penalty demand in Fandi Ramadhan’s case related to the two-ton drug trafficking off Tanjung Balai Karimun.
Member of Commission III, Rikwanto, pointed to contradictions between trial facts and the Berita Acara Pemeriksaan (BAP) in the Fandi Ramadan case (22) or ABK Fandi.
Chairman of Commission III, Habiburokhman, emphasised that the DPR does not intervene in narcotics cases involving ABK Fandi Ramadhan at the Batam district court.