Hotman Paris: No Evidence Suggests Fandi, Sea Dragon Crew Member, Knew the Ship Was Carrying 2 Tonnes of Methamphetamine

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Hotman Paris, the lawyer representing Fandi Ramadhan’s family, has asserted that there is no evidence to suggest his client knew that the Sea Dragon ship he worked on was carrying nearly 2 tonnes of methamphetamine.

This was stated by Hotman during a public hearing with the Indonesian Parliament’s Commission III on Thursday, 26 February 2026, when he presented Fandi’s parents.

“The problem is, how can he be charged with the death penalty when there is absolutely no evidence that he knew what was inside?” Hotman said at the Parliament building.

According to him, Fandi is a graduate with a D4 degree in marine engineering who applied for a job through an agency.

During the recruitment process, Fandi is said to have never met the captain of the ship he would be working under.

“He applied to an agency, he applied officially to an agency and was eventually accepted. And the agency said that the captain would be this person, but this young man never met the captain, never met him and didn’t know him,” Hotman said.

He also revealed that the ship Fandi boarded was different from the ship stated in his employment contract.

“According to the contract, the ship was supposed to be named Nonstar. But then he was taken on a speedboat and brought to the Sea Dragon. So, the ship in the application was different from the ship he was on,” Hotman said.

Hotman said that after being on the ship for three days, a fishing boat arrived and unloaded 67 boxes.

The entire crew, including Fandi, were ordered by the captain to move the goods in a relay.

“And this young man kept asking, ‘What is this?’ And the captain admitted it. The captain admitted that it was money and gold,” Hotman said.

He added that the fact that Fandi repeatedly asked about the contents of the cargo was also revealed in court.

Hotman then questioned the logic of seeking the death penalty for Fandi, who had only worked for three days as a crew member.