Court needs Thai interpreter for trial

TANGERANG: Due to the absence of lawyers and an interpreter, the Tangerang District Court failed on Tuesday to try a Thai woman and a Nigerian man who allegedly attempted to smuggle 450 grams of heroin from Thailand into the country in April.

The defendants are a Thai food vendor, Bunyong Khaosa Ard, 45, and a Nigerian, Obina Nuajabu, 28, who will likely face the death penalty if convicted.

However, the court was forced to postpone the hearing because the defendants did not have defense lawyers or interpreters.

"The court postponed the trial until the defendants are accompanied by lawyers and an interpreter," presiding judge Zainal Arifin told the hearing.

Prosecutors M. Adam and Martha said they had written to the Thai embassy asking for an embassy official to interpret for Bunyong, who could not understand Indonesian and English.

"As of today, we have yet to receive a response from the Thai embassy," M. Adam told the panel of judges as he presented them with a copy of the letter prosecutors had sent to the embassy.

Bunyong was arrested by customs officers at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on April 7 for allegedly smuggling 400 grams of heroin contained in 45 capsules that she had swallowed in Bangkok.

Based on her confession, the police arrested her contact, Obina Nuajabu, at the Ibis Hotel in Slipi, West Jakarta. --JP