Terra Drone Boss Given Lighter Sentence than Prosecution’s Request over Fire that Killed 22: Why?

JAKARTA — The Chief Executive Officer of PT Terra Drone Indonesia, Michael Wisnu Wardhana, was sentenced to 1 year and 4 months in prison in the case of the office fire that killed 22 employees. The sentence is lighter than the two-year term demanded by prosecutors. The panel of judges at the Central Jakarta District Court gave several reasons for the lenient sentence. In addition, Michael Wisnu Wardhana had no prior criminal record. The panel noted that he had sought to settle with the families of the 22 deceased workers. Of those families, 19 agreed to a settlement, one family accepted compensation, and two were still delaying compensation. Four of the victims’ families also apologised in court. He had not only provided compensation, but also scholarships for the victims’ children, which the panel viewed as a form of responsibility beyond obligation. The panel also noted aggravating factors: “The defendant’s negligence caused the deaths of 22 workers which should have been prevented by observing OSH standards,” said Judge Sunoto. The panel emphasised that society needs a clear signal that negligence in implementing OSH standards resulting in large numbers of deaths cannot go unpunished. This is important to protect workers’ safety in Indonesia. In the verdict, the presiding judge Purwanto S. Abdullah stated that Michael had been proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt of the crime due to his negligence causing the death of others. Michael was sentenced to 1 year 4 months. The panel also ordered that the period of arrest and detention already served be deducted in full from the sentence. He will remain in custody.