Judge Rejects Drug Gembong's Father's Exception Fredy Pratama

The defendant Lian Silas while attending the trial at the Banjarmasin District Court, Tuesday (16/1/2024). (ANTARA/Firman)

BANJARMASIN - Chief Judge Jamser Simanjuntak rejected the exception of the defendant Lian Silas, who is the father of international network drug kingpin Fredy Pratama, during a hearing at the Banjarmasin District Court, South Kalimantan.

"Declaring that he rejects the objection from the defendant Lian Silas' legal adviser, ordered the public prosecutor to continue the investigation of the case on behalf of the defendant Lian Silas," said Jamser when reading the interlocutory verdict reported by ANTARA, Tuesday, January 16.

In their consideration, the panel of judges stated that based on Article 69 of the Money Laundering Criminal Act (TPPU), investigations and prosecutions and examinations at court court must not be proven first.

This was reaffirmed in the decision of the Constitutional Court Number 77/PUU-XII/2014 on the application for the examination of Article 69 of the Money Laundering Law, where the petitioner's petition has no legal basis.

The judge explained, according to the Constitutional Court, it is an injustice if someone who has actually received profits from the TPPU is not prosecuted just because his original crime has not been proven first.

For this reason, if the original crime cannot be proven first then it will not become an obstacle to try money laundering offenses.

Based on the interim decision, the trial will continue on Tuesday (23/1) next week to prove it by examining witnesses presented by the public prosecutor (JPU).

Meanwhile, the Head of General Crimes at the Banjarmasin District Attorney's Office, Habibi, expressed his appreciation for the intermediate decision of the panel of judges who rejected the defendant's exception through his attorney Ernawati.

"The next trial we present around five witnesses first, of course gradually because there are also witnesses who live outside the region, including prisoners in prisons," he explained.

The defendant Lian Silas was previously arrested by the Criminal Investigation Unit of the National Police in a money laundering case over the flow of funds suspected of being the result of his son's drug business, Fredy Pratama, who is still at large.

The evidence confiscated from Lian Silas included 108 banking accounts, eight motorized vehicles, Rp2.8 billion in cash, 32 plots of land and buildings with a total value of assets confiscated reaching Rp. 101.4 billion.