Australian Drug-Carrying Boy To Be Tried In RI

Nusa Dua (Antara Bali) - The case of LM, a 14-year old Australian boy recently caught carrying 6.9 grams of marijuana, will be judicially processed according to Indonesian law, police said.

The chief the National Police's Criminal Investigation Department, Commissioner General Sutarman, said here on Monday the case must be processed for trial in an Indonesian court.

"We must respect the law in each other's country. We also told them (Australia) that in Indonesia a defendant's young age is always  taken into consideration in a court ruling," he said on the sidelines of an ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crimes (AMMTC).

With regard to the case of children Sutarman emphasized the importance of assuring the meeting of their rights and their protection.

"If the suspects are children there will certainly be room for negotiations and cooperation. At the ASEAN+3 later we will also cooperate with Australia. So if the case affects children there will be negotiations between countries," he said.

But although negotiations will be made he assured that there would be no barter or exchange of prisoners.

"I think our cooperation is like that. If there is an Australian violating a law in Indonesia , they will let us deal with it according to the law in Indonesia," he said.

On the other hand, he said, if there is an Indonesian citizen  violating the law in Australia he/she will also be dealt with according to Australian law.

"We will also let Australia to conduct law enforcement with regard to that case. But we will also monitor its process," he said.

LM was caught on October 4, 2011 on Jalan Padma, Legian, Kuta, Bali, carrying 6.9 grams of marijuana gross in his pocket.

To the police during questioning in the company of a psychiatrist and a psychologist he said he bought the illegal drug from someone in Kuta.

Australian ambassador Greg Moriarty had come to the Bali police command to assure a good process of the case and to support his parents and the suspect.(*)