Two Defendants in Sinking of Putri Sakinah Ship Demanded 4.5 Years in Prison

Two defendants in the case of the sinking of the pinisi schooner KM Putri Sakinah have been demanded to receive prison sentences of four years and six months. The demand was read out by the public prosecutor (JPU) during the trial at the Labuan Bajo District Court in West Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), on Tuesday (12/5/2026).

The two defendants are the ship’s captain, Lukman (56), and a crew member (ABK) serving as the Head of the Engine Room (KKM), Muhamad Alif Latifa N. Djudje (22).

“Therefore, impose a prison sentence on each of them for four years and six months, minus the time already served in detention,” said the Head of the Intelligence Section (Kasi) of the West Manggarai District Prosecutor’s Office, Ngurah Agung Asteka Pradewa Artha, in his statement on Tuesday (12/5/2026).

In their demand, the JPU requested that the panel of judges declare both defendants legally and convincingly proven guilty of committing a criminal act due to their negligence resulting in the death of others. The act is deemed to violate Article 474 paragraph (3) in conjunction with Article 20 letter C of Law Number 1 of 2023 on the Criminal Code (KUHP).

The demand hearing for the two defendants was presided over by Chief Judge Putu Dima Indra and two member judges, Made Wirangga Kusuma and Intan Hendrawati. The JPU were M. Ilham Nugroho and Gede Romy Askara. The trial will resume on 18 May 2026 with the agenda of reading the defence plea from the defendants’ legal counsel.

As is known, the Putri Sakinah ship sank in the Padar Island Strait, Komodo National Park, Labuan Bajo, on the night of 26 December 2025. The ship accident killed Valencia CF women’s football coach Martin Carreras Fernando and three of his children. Fernando’s wife and youngest child survived the incident.

The accident occurred while the ship was being steered by Alif. Lukman handed over the helm to Alif because he wanted to have dinner in the ship’s galley.