The West Jakarta District Court has sentenced former police general Teddy Minahasa to life imprisonment for his involvement in a drug trafficking case.
The judges found Teddy guilty of trafficking a Class I narcotic in violation of Law No. 35 of 2009 on Narcotics, which carries a maximum penalty of death. The judges considered that Teddy’s actions had endangered the public and contradicted the government’s efforts to eradicate drug abuse.
Teddy was arrested on Oct. 14, 2022, just four days after he was appointed East Java police chief.
Teddy was accused of stealing 5 kilograms of methamphetamine from the evidence locker of a district police office in West Sumatra, where he was the provincial police chief. He then sold the drugs to his accomplices for personal gain.
To avoid suspicion, Teddy had asked his subordinates to replace the stolen meth with the chemical compound alum.
During the trial, Teddy denied his involvement in the drug trafficking and claimed that he was framed by his rivals.
However, the judges rejected Teddy’s defense and said that there was sufficient evidence and witness testimonies to prove his guilt. The judges also said that Teddy had tarnished the reputation of the Indonesian police and abused his authority as a high-ranking officer.
Teddy’s lawyer, Hotman Paris Hutapea, said that he would appeal the verdict.
Teddy is one of two former police generals who have been convicted of serious crimes this year. In February 2023, former police general Ferdy Sambo was sentenced to death for murdering his aide in July 2022.
