Things could be worse for an Australian man and his Indonesian driver who just got sentenced one year in jail for a joint of marijuana they were found with this January.
Nicholas Langan, 25, and Hanung Pekik Hermantoro, 25 were initially facing drug possession charges that carried a maximum of 12 years jail, but prosecutors ended up charging them as drug users, which carries a much lighter sentence in Indonesia, reports News Corp Australia.
Hermantoro was a driver at Green Room Villa hotel resort in Canggu where Langan was staying at the time.
The two men were found on a beach in Canggu on January 27 at midnight by a security guard, who then called the police. Hermantoro had tried to throw the half smoked joint in the sand at the time of their arrest, but it was recovered.
Prosecutors suggested four years for Langan and Hermantoro, but they emerged from the trial with just one year after Langan had been “polite and frank” with the court, said Chief Judge Cening Budiana on Thursday, according to AAP.
He had previously said he wanted to do things the “right way” and wouldn’t dare pay bribes.
“I did something stupid. What I did by smoking marijuana has bought shame upon myself, my family and shown disrespect to the Indonesian law. Disrespect of Indonesian law and its people was never my intention. What I did was an ill-disciplined act. I never went out looking to buy ganga (marijuana) or find to ganga to use,” Langan reportedly told the Judges.
Lucky for Langan, the time he has passed in Kerobokan Prison since his arrest gets to count towards his sentence.
Photo: AFP
