The lawyer representing kiwi man Antony de Malmanche isn’t too impressed with how Indonesian police have been handling his client, who is accused of drug smuggling in Bali.
New Zealand based lawyer Craig Tuck, who specializes in Human Rights says the police are being “willy nilly” with conducting the case and had interviewed his client with no attorney present, reports New Zealand’s ONE news.
“Cases can be won or lost at the police station, it’s a critical step in the process to have control of,” said Tuck, underscoring the severity of de Malmanche going unrepresented, as quoted by the New Zealand Herald.
Tuck reportedly says he understood de Malmanche wouldn’t be interrogated by police until he was in the country on December 28, but the interrogation went on without him yesterday. The police went against their word, says Tuck, who believes communication challenges will be a key struggle characterizing this case.
“Police seem to be issuing press releases willy nilly,” Tuck said. He could be referring to a major headline that broke with Indonesian investigators on the record saying they believe de Malmanche to be active in an international drugs ring.
De Malmanche, 52, is accused of smuggling 1.7 kilograms of meth into Bali on December 1.
With no tolerance for drug trafficking under Indonesian law, de Malmanche could be up for the death penalty if convicted.
Photo: AFP
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