Supreme Court Upholds Indonesian Drug Trafficker’s Life-Conviction


Buth Reaksmey Kongkea 

The Supreme Court yesterday upheld the life sentence meted out to an Indonesian national for transporting more than five kilogrammes of crystal meth from Laos into Cambodia via the border checkpoint in Stung Treng province in 2019. 

Presiding Judge Soeung Panhavuth identified convict as Nurul Fadli Putro, 45, a tourist. 

“Based on the convict Nurul Fadli Putro’s confession during this appeal hearing on March 23 as well as the real evidence that police had seized from him on the day of his arrest, the Judges’ Council of Supreme Court has found him guilty as accused,” Judge Panhavuth read the verdict. 

“Therefore, the Judges’ Council of Supreme Court has decided to uphold the ruling of the Phnom Penh Appeal Court as  effected and close his appeal,” he said. 

Judge Panhavuth said that, Nurul Fadli was sentenced to life in prison by the Stung Treng Provincial Court on February 13, 2020. The court also ordered fined him about $25,000.

He said the convict had been charged with “drug transport and trafficking” under Article 40 of the Law on Drug Control.  

Judge Panhavuth noted that the Appeal Court upheld the sentence on September 13 last year.  

He said Nurul Fadli was arrested on March 31, 2019 by police from the Interior Ministry’s Anti-Drug Trafficking Department, in collaboration with provincial anti-drug trafficking police. 

Also yesterday the Supreme Court sent back the case of three Chinese men and a Cambodian man, jailed for life each for allegedly trafficking about 55 kilogrammes of drugs, for retrial at the Appeal Court. 

They were sentenced in 2016 by the lower court to a life sentence in prison each for llegedly smuggling about 55 kilograms of drugs including ice and heroines [worth $3 million] from Laos to Cambodia committed in 2015 to the Appeal Court for a retrial. 

Court’s Presiding Judge Soeung Panhavuth stated yesterday that Supreme Court transferred it to the Phnom Penh Appeal Court for retrial because there are gaps and some contradictory evidence in this case that was not examined and considered by the lower court.

Judge Panhavuth identified that the three Chinese accused as Li Yong also known as Chae, 49; Deng Yuan Ping, 61; and Dam Nha alias Khen, 61. The Cambodian accused was identified as Siv Seu, 49. 

He said that they were sentenced on September 20, 2016 by Phnom Penh Municipal Court to a life sentence in prison each for “drug possession, trafficking and produce” under Articles 39 and 40 of the Law on Drug Control.  

Judge Panhavuth said the Supreme Court transferred it to the Phnom Penh Appeal Court for retrial because there are gaps and some contradictory evidence in this case that were not examined and considered by the lower court.

 

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