Briton on trial in Bali for a drug offense pleads for lenient sentence

British citizen Thomas Parker who is accused of drug offenses walks to a holding cell
after his trial hearing at a district court in Denpasar, Bali, yesterday

A British man on trial for drug offenses pleaded for leniency yesterday in a court on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali after a charge that could carry the death penalty was dropped.

Thomas Parker, from Cumbria in northwest England, was arrested on Jan. 21, at a villa near Kuta beach, a popular tourist spot, after he allegedly collected a package from a motorcycle taxi driver at a nearby street.

According to the court document obtained by The Associated Press, Parker was noticed “acting suspiciously” by officers while he was collecting the package. He allegedly discarded it in a panic and fled when police approached him. He was traced back to the villa where he was staying and was arrested.

The court document said a lab test result confirmed the package containing slightly over a kilogram (2.326 pounds) of methylenedioxymethamphetamine, or MDMA, the main ingredient in ecstasy.

Parker was initially charged with drug trafficking and could have faced the death penalty by firing squad if found guilty.

However, the trafficking charge was dropped after police investigators determined that the package was not directly linked to him.

The case went unreported until authorities showed a handcuffed Parker at a news conference on March 6.

During the police investigation, the 32-year-old electrician was able to prove that he did not order the package. It was sent by a drug dealer friend, identified only as Nicky, who Parker had known for around two years and spoke to regularly through the Telegram messaging app.

During the trial that began last month, Parker told the court he initially refused to collect the package but later agreed to do it after Nicky assured him that the package was safe and would not put him in danger.

Parker was told someone would pick it up shortly from him, his lawyer, Edward Pangkahila said. Parker was not promised money or anything else by Nicky in return, Pangkahila said.

Authorities reduced the charge from trafficking to the less serious offense of hiding information from authorities. Prosecutors on May 6 sought a one-year prison term for Parker.

However, under Indonesian legal system, judges have an important role as legal determinants in a trial. They could seek further charges if applicable laws are unclear or non-existent, meaning that the trafficking charge could be reinstated.

“I am very sorry and apologize, I know it was a mistake,” Parker said, “I promise not to repeat it again, because I really didn’t know that (the package) was drugs.”

After Parker read out his plea, Presiding Judge Gusti Ayu Akhirnyani adjourned the trial until May 27, when the judges will read out their sentence in a verdict.

“Until now, they (prosecutors) cannot prove that our client is a middleman or trafficker,” Pangkahila said, “He has no connection with any drug network, we hope the judges will come to the same conclusion.”

He said his client is nervous and depressed as he faces trial.

Indonesia has very strict drug laws and convicted traffickers can be executed by a firing squad.

About 530 people are on death row in Indonesia, mostly for drug-related crimes, including 96 foreigners. FIRDIA LISNAWATI, DENPASAR, MDT/AP