Supreme Court asked to uphold death penalty for drug dealers
Supreme Court asked to uphold death penalty for drug dealers
TANGERANG (JP): A prosecutor has asked the Supreme Court to
uphold the death sentence for three major drug dealers who were
found guilty of possessing 11.5 kilograms of heroin.
Prosecutor Asnawi made the statement on Thursday at the
Tangerang District Court during a hearing that was based on the
convicts' request to the Supreme Court to review the case.
The court sentenced Deny Setiawan Maharwan, 28, Rani Andriani,
25, and Meirika Franola, 31, to death in August last year.
Lawyer Dini Nurbayati asked the Supreme Court to review their
case, arguing that her clients deserve a lighter sentence as they
had given information that led police to smash a drug-trafficking
syndicate.
Earlier this year, police shot dead Franola's Nigerian
husband, Tony, alias Tajudin, and arrest several other Nigerians
who were members of the syndicate.
Detective police officer Insp. Sumingga testified on Thursday
that he captured Rani and Deny, on Jan. 12, 2000, as they were
about to board a flight to London at Soekarno-Hatta International
Airport. The two said that the 3.5 kilograms of heroin and three
kilograms of cocaine found in their bags belonged to Franola, who
had accompanied them to the airport. Franola was arrested as she
headed toward the airport parking lot.
Police found another 3.5 kilograms of drugs when they searched
Franola's house in Taman Yasmin housing complex in Bogor. She
claimed that all of the drugs belonged to her husband Tony.
Prosecutor Asnawi said all the reasons made up by the convicts
were nonsense since they should have realized that being in
possession of and trafficking in drugs was against the law in the
country.
The three convicts appealed to the Supreme Court on Sept. 10,
2000; on April 18 the Supreme Court rejected their appeal.
The request to review the case was filed at the Supreme Court
on Jan. 10, 2001.
If the Supreme Court rejects a lightening of the sentence, the
convicts still have a chance to avoid the death sentence by
asking for Presidential clemency.(41)