Indonesian police did not search accused drug trafficker Michael Sacatides’ bag for fingerprints, his defence lawyer is claiming.
Erwin Siregar told the Denpasar District Court, on Wednesday, that the four plastic bags containing 1.7 kg of crystal methamphetamine found in Sacatides’ suitcase at Bali’s international airport were not dusted for prints, according to reports in The Australian.
Mr Sacatides, 43, a kickboxing instructor who was living in Thailand appeared at his second hearing on Wednesday following his October 1 arrest.
Since his arrest he has denied that the drugs, worth an estimated AUD$392,000, belonged to him.
Mr Sacatides faces a sentence ranging from five years jail to the death penalty if convicted.
Mr Siregar told the court that Mr Sacatides had borrowed the bag from his Indian business partner Akaleshi Tripathi, known as ‘Peter’, in Bangkok and that his client knew nothing of the drugs inside.
“Michael borrowed the bag because he knows Peter for two and half years and Peter offered the bag because Michael didn’t have one.
When he got the bag it was empty. He put his personal belongings in it,” Mr Siregar said, adding “Michael is not a user (of drugs), he’s educated, he has a good salary and has no economic reason to bring the drugs”.
Mr Sacatides previously told investigators he borrowed the bag on September, 30, 2010 around 10am Bangkok time at Peter’s apartment building, located at Sei 16 Sukhumvit, Bangkok. He said a security officer from the building gave him the bag.
Mr Sacatides described Peter as “Indian, thin, around 167 cm tall, black skin and short straight black hair.”
Mr Sacatides’ confiscated mobile phone remains in police custody, Mr Siregar said.
“Maybe the police are thinking the drug syndicate will call the telephone but nothing because he [Mr Sacatides] is a good man. There is no criminal report even in Thailand or in Australia”.
Mr Siregar, whose legal fees are being funded by Australian legal aid formerly represented marijuana trafficker Schapelle Corby after her arrest. He said he hopes his client will get the minimum sentence.
Prior to his arrest Mr Sacatides had arrived in Bali on a flight from Bangkok, where he had been working for 22 months. He was planning to spend four days in Bali, having travelled there once previously. He told police that he travelled to Bali to renew his visa on October 1 last year.
At the end of the hearing Mr Sacatides simply said “the accusation from the prosecution is not true”.
The hearing will resume on January 11 when prosecutor Agung Atmaja will reply to the objections.
