Bali boy begs judge to set him free

The court case of a 14-year-old Australian accused of buying marijuana in Indonesia has been adjourned until next Friday when a verdict is expected.

The boy's lawyer, Mohammed Rifan, says the teenager broke down as he begged the judge at Denpasar district court to set him free.

At an emotional hearing, the boy apologised for all the trouble he has caused.

"The boy was begging to the judge - can he be home soon, back to the friends, back to the school and the parents too - they came to the judge if possible not to punish the son," Mr Rifan said.

The 14-year-old was arrested early last month for allegedly buying marijuana on Bali's Kuta beach.

He could potentially face up to six years in jail unless his defence team can prove that he had a problem with the drug and is getting help.

Chief prosecutor Gusti Gede Putu Atmaja says the boy's father told the closed court session that he and his wife brought their son to Bali to get him away from marijuana.

Mr Atmaja says the father said his son had been using the drug for about 18 months and vowed to take him into rehabilitation if he is free to return to Australia.

"He came to Bali with his friend - a good boy - to protect him, to not use that drug anymore," Mr Atmaja said.

"From now on, he's going to stop... and the father's going to take him to the rehabilitation in Australia."

Earlier, the boy and his parents, covering their faces to avoid being identified, pushed their way through scrambling media with security guards helping to muscle their way to a specially set-up children's court.

Mr Atmaja said there may be verdict next Friday.

The prosecution's witnesses, including the police who arrested the boy, were at the court today to give evidence.

The boy faces three potential convictions - one of which carries up to six years in jail.


(read in the ABC News)

(Just a casual remark from old Kesas, during al this goings on no-one has heard anything about the guy who sold the weed to this young fellah, so if you ask me..., this whole shenanigan is just a setup, an entrapment if you like, and the seller a stooge for the cops!)

Six-Figure Media Deal for Australian Drug Teen


November 06, 2011

Sydney. The parents of an Australian teenager on trial in Indonesia for drug possession sold exclusive rights to his story to a commercial television network for a six-figure sum, reports said Sunday.

The 14-year-old is facing a maximum six years in prison after being caught with 6.9 grams of marijuana in Bali’s tourist area of Kuta last month, where he was on holiday with his parents.

Detained since Oct. 4, the boy is hoping to evade a jail sentence by proving he was already addicted to the drug when he came to Indonesia and should instead be sentenced to rehabilitation.

Anticipating their son will be freed, the boy’s parents have brokered a tell-all media deal with Australia’s Nine television network, according to the Sunday Telegraph, which said it was worth between Aus$200,000 and $300,000.

The deal, clinched by a celebrity agent, will reportedly include an interview with the network’s 60 Minutes current affairs program and Woman’s Day magazine, the Telegraph said.

A 60 Minutes team was preparing to fly to Bali ahead of Friday’s sentencing hearing, after which a network source told the Telegraph they hope to do the interview.

The teen’s lawyer, Muhammad Rifan, told the newspaper he was confident he would evade a prison term.

“That is what we think, that is what the parents of the boy think, and we hope he is home to his friends by next weekend,” he said.

“He knows he did the wrong thing and he is very sorry.”

Agence France-Presse



(as read in the JG)


(fancy trying to make a buck out of their son's misery!) siK.

November 07, 2011


After criticism and fear of potential legal repercussions in the case of a 14-year-old Australian teenager on trial in Bali for drug possession, Australian media groups are distancing themselves from reports that they paid large sums for his story rights.

The Sunday Telegraph reported that the boy’s parents sold the rights to his story to Nine television network for 200,000 to 300,000 Australian dollars ($208,000 to $312,000). The deal included an interview on the network's “60 Minutes” program and Women’s Day magazine.

“There is no deal,” Grant Vandenberg, the teenager’s agent, said over the weekend.

Nine spokesman David Hurley also denied the deal.

“There is categorically no deal,” Hurley told theage.com.au. “You can rely on that.”

Hurley, however, didn’t rule out the possibility of a future deal.

“We’re obviously keen like all other media, but we can’t confirm anything at this stage,” he told The Sun-Hearld.

A “60 Minutes” team filmed background footage in Bali on Friday.

The Telegraph reported that Vandenberg spoke to both Nine television network and Channel 7 on Saturday.

Channel 7 is also trying to distance itself from the media barrage.

“We didn’t put a single bid in,” Peter Meakin, Seven news and current affairs chief told The Telegraph. “We are just not interested, and the big issue here is that it would just be the worst possible timing for the boy and his family to be dealing with the media.”

Public backlash has raised concerns that the alleged deal could damage the teenager’s case. He was caught with 6.9 grams of marijuana in the Kuta area of Bali and detained on Oct. 4.

“I am very shocked if that has happened,” Chief Prosecutor I Gusti Gede Putu Atmaja told The Telegraph. “It is not a good thing to do, taking money for this if the family does that.”

Financially benefiting from the case is against Indonesian law and the presiding judge must be informed of any deal involving money.

The teenager’s attorney is hoping to prove that the boy was a drug addict before he was caught in Bali. Proving that the boy was already addicted would result in rehabilitation instead of prison time.

Vandenberg, reiterated that no deal had been made.

“There is no deal. It is sad that people could make things up that really aren’t helpful to him,” he said.

Both Indonesian and Australian media laws protect the identity of minors. Australian media, however, have printed the teenager’s full name



(x the JG)