Hotman Paris Reveals Irregularities in the Case of a Crew Member Facing the Death Penalty
Prominent lawyer Hotman Paris Hutapea has revealed several irregularities in the drug case involving Fandi Ramadhan, 22, a crew member of the Sea Dragon vessel who is now facing the death penalty. Hotman stated that Fandi had no knowledge of the two tons of narcotics on board the ship he worked on.
He explained that Fandi, a graduate with a four-year degree in Naval Engineering, had only worked on the Sea Dragon for three days before being arrested by the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) and Customs in the waters of Tanjung Balai Karimun.
“This person only applied for a job through an agency, and had only been on the ship for three days as an unemployed person who had just found work. How could he suddenly be facing the death penalty? Where is the legal logic?” Hotman Paris said during a public hearing at Commission III of the Indonesian Parliament, Thursday (February 26).
Hotman explained that from the beginning of the departure process, Fandi had experienced inconsistencies in his contract. In the official documents, Fandi was supposed to work on a ship named Nonstar. However, upon arriving in Thailand, he was instead taken by speedboat to the Sea Dragon.
The irregularities continued when the ship was in the middle of the sea on May 18. A fishing boat approached and transferred 67 mysterious boxes. As a crew member, Fandi was ordered by the captain to help move the goods.
“Fandi repeatedly asked the captain, ‘What is this?’ The captain, whose surname is Siregar, admitted in court that he lied to Fandi, saying that the contents were money and gold. So, there is no evidence at all that Fandi knew it was drugs,” Hotman emphasized.
Hotman also highlighted the irregularity from the perspective of the value of the evidence. With an estimated value of the drugs reaching IDR 4 trillion, it is illogical from a criminal perspective that a large syndicate would entrust the goods to someone they did not know at all and who had only worked for three days.
“Is it possible that the drug owners would entrust IDR 4 trillion to someone they just met? It doesn’t make sense. In court, the captain also admitted that the boy asked several times because he was suspicious,” he added.
On that basis, Hotman urged Commission III of the Indonesian Parliament to summon the investigators and prosecutors to question the basis for the maximum sentence. He believes that the death penalty for Fandi is a serious injustice, given Fandi’s position as only a ship’s crew member and not part of the network.
“There is not a single piece of evidence stating that Fandi knew the contents were drugs. He just worked, he is a professional in the field of ship machinery. We ask Commission III to investigate this because it concerns the life of an innocent person,” Hotman concluded.
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Commission III of the Indonesian Parliament plans to summon the Head of the Batam District Attorney’s Office regarding the death penalty demand against Fandi Ramadhan, a crew member of the Sea Dragon Terawa.
Member of Commission III of the Indonesian Parliament, Rikwanto, highlighted the contradiction between the facts of the trial and the contents of the Minutes of Examination (BAP) in the case of Fandi Ramadan (22) or crew member Fandi.
The Chairman of Commission III of the Indonesian Parliament, Habiburokhman, affirmed that the Indonesian Parliament does not interfere in the drug case of crew member Fandi Ramadhan at the Batam District Court.
Amnesty International Indonesia rejects the death penalty demand against crew member Fandi Ramadhan in Batam.
Commission III of the Indonesian Parliament plans to summon the Head of the Batam District Attorney’s Office regarding the death penalty demand against Fandi Ramadhan, a crew member of the Sea Dragon Terawa.