Bimantoro Wiyono Praises Batam District Court for Revealing Legal Facts in Fandi Ramadhan's ABK Case

A member of the Indonesian House of Representatives’ Commission III, from the Gerindra Party, Bimantoro Wiyono, expressed appreciation to the panel of judges of the Batam District Court, which is seen as having clearly revealed the legal facts in the narcotics case involving Fandi Ramadhan’s ABK.

In the ruling read by Chief Panel Judge Tiwik on Thursday (5/3), Fandi Ramadhan (25) was sentenced to five years in prison. The verdict exempted the defendant from the death penalty previously sought by the Public Prosecutor.

Fandi had previously been charged with involvement in smuggling nearly two tonnes of methamphetamine using the MT Sea Dragon Tarawa tanker, intercepted by authorities in the Karimun waters, Riau Islands, in May 2025. The prosecutors assessed that the defendant knew of the smuggling plan and had received an initial transfer of Rp 8.2 million.

In response to the verdict, Bimantoro said the panel had demonstrated independence and courage in assessing the trial facts objectively.

“I express my appreciation to Batam PN and the panel of judges who have openly disclosed the legal facts in the trial, so the veil of justice can be lifted,” Bimantoro said in a written statement on Thursday (5 March 2026).

He emphasised that the state must remain firm in combating narcotics crime which poses a serious threat to the nation’s generation. However, according to him, law enforcement must also uphold the principle of justice by carefully considering the role and degree of involvement of a person in a case.

“The war on drugs must remain a priority. But law enforcement must also view proportionally the position and role of a person to ensure justice is truly upheld,” he said.

Bimantoro hopes the verdict can serve as an example that the judiciary remains the last bulwark for justice, while also showing that the legal process in Indonesia operates independently and based on trial facts.

(akd/akd)