JAKARTA -Tony Spontana, Spokesman, Indonesia Attorney-General’s office, said the planned executions of 10 people convicted of drug offences in Indonesia may not happen in March.
He said on Friday in Jakarta, that for so many reasons mostly as a result of litigation, he could ascertain that the executions would be carried out n March.
“To start with, the facilities on the Penal Island of Nusakambangan were not 100 per cent ready and a Philippine convict, Mary Jane Veloso, still had her case review request being heard in court.
“Also the psychiatric examination to determine whether Brazilian convict, Rodrigo Gularte, is mentally ill as claimed by his family is still pending,” he said.
Spontana insisted that the appeals for presidential clemency for other eight people facing execution which include three drug offenders from Nigeria, two from Australia and one each from France, Indonesia, and Ghana, were rejected.
Meanwhile, Australian Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop, has accused Indonesian authorities of trying to maximise publicity in the handling of the two death-row Australians.
He said the convicts, Myuran Sukumaran, 33, and Andrew Chan, 31 were transferred under paramilitary escort this week from a Bali prison to Nusakambangan, off Java.
Bishop said the circumstances surrounding the move and photos that emerged of an Indonesian police chief posing with the two on the plane have ramped up tensions.
She said Canberra had lodged a complaint with Jakarta over the ‘undignified and degrading’ treatment.
“It seemed that our citizens were singled out for treatment designed to maximise publicity. That was certainly at odds with the treatment of other citizens of other countries in the same position,” he said.
Bishop said the Indonesian Ambassador to Australia, Nadjib Kesoema, has been asked to explain the reason for the disproportionate use and display of force, during the convicts prison transfer.
The Australian government has repeatedly urged Indonesia not to execute Sukumaran and Chan.
Bishop said she was still hopeful in spite of Indonesia showing no interest in a ‘substantial package’ of proposals put forward by Canberra in exchange for the lives of the two Australians.
She said these included a prisoner swap deal and an offer of private donor funds for drug rehabilitation programmes in Indonesia.
Bishop also warned the executions would damage to relations between the two countries.
“I will be deeply saddened if this happens not only for the young men and their families but for the relationship between Indonesia and Australia,” she said.
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has described as ‘unbecoming’ the photographs in which Djoko Utomo, Police Commissioner of Bali’s capital Denpasar was seen smiling and posing with Sukumaran and Chan.
“I thought they showed a lack of respect and lack of dignity,” he said.
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Djoko in his reaction said he had been trying to lift the men’s spirits and had not intended to be insensitive.
Sukumaran and Chan were among nine Australians convicted in 2006 over a plot to smuggle some 8 kilogrammes of heroin from the Indonesian resort of Bali to Australia.
Also, Raheem Agbaje-Salami, one of the Nigerians on death-row was sentenced to death for trying to smuggle heroin into Indonesia and has spent 16 years on death row. (dpa/NAN)
