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British Mule Sentenced to Death in Bali

Even though Lindsay Sandiford cooperated with police, ratting out others (who may not have been involved), and even though prosecutors asked for a 15 year sentence, a court in Bali has sentenced 51 year old Sandiford to death for smuggling 5 kilos of cocaine in from Bangkok.

I told the whole sordid story here, including how Sandiford led police on a wild goose chase for 6 days trying to do a controlled delivery and lay the drugs off on someone. Her victims: a British couple with a 6 year old daughter. [More...]

Rachel Dougall, whose only offense was a possession amount of drugs in a cigarette pack, was arrested along with her partner who Lindsay set up to receive the drugs. She was sentenced in December to a year in jail for failing to report a crime. Her partner, Julian Ponder, is awaiting sentencing. Prosecutors have asked for 7 years. (He had a around 23 grams of cocaine stashed in the house.)

Sandiford said she was threatened by a syndicate that if she didn't deliver the drugs, her teenage son would be harmed. But she left 6 year old Kitty to become an orphan if her tale had been believed. She called Ponder while with police, said she had a birthday present for Kitty and met him, handing him the package with drugs. He never opened it but got got arrested.

A fourth person arrested, Paul Beales, also says he was set up by Lindsay and was sentenced to four years. He was found with a 3 grams of hashish, which he claimed police planted.

"This is a nightmare. I've got two little girls of four and nine and I have no idea what they are thinking about why their dad hasn't come home."

He told the newspaper he had met Sandiford only once, adding: "I don't know why she's telling these lies. Probably so she can save her own skin."

I don't have as much sympathy for Sandiford because she tried to set up others, separating them from their children, but she should not get the death penalty. Neither should the two Bali 9 defendants. Visit Mercy.org.

15 years in a hellhole of an Indonesian prison is also excessive.

Here are the four defendants after their arrest:

And they still won't release Schapelle Corby, even though she is now eligible for parole.

There's one way non-Indonesians can avoid these draconian laws: Stay away from Bali. There are beautiful beaches all over the world. Don't let a dime of your money go to countries like Indonesia that execute drug offenders. Visit the Seychelles, Mauritius, or the Maldives, to name just a few.

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  • Display: Sort:
    yeah, i'm inclined to agree. (5.00 / 2) (#1)
    by cpinva on Tue Jan 22, 2013 at 12:45:05 PM EST
    bali isn't the only nice vacation spot, there are others, that don't have authoritarian governments.

    There (5.00 / 2) (#3)
    by lentinel on Tue Jan 22, 2013 at 12:49:10 PM EST
    is just something about a fascist state that says to me that there are preferable destinations for a vacation.

    Horrible. Despicable behavior (5.00 / 1) (#6)
    by ruffian on Tue Jan 22, 2013 at 03:47:38 PM EST
    all the way around, that's for sure, but the death penalty is of course insane.

    It's a shame what's happened to Indonesia (none / 0) (#2)
    by shoephone on Tue Jan 22, 2013 at 12:46:43 PM EST
    So glad I got to experience the beauty of Bali in the late 70's.

    And Bali is a big party (none / 0) (#4)
    by MKS on Tue Jan 22, 2013 at 01:59:16 PM EST
    destination for people from the Land of Oz.  Alcohol and clubs everywhere, women without clothes everywhere,  people having s*x in all sorts of places.  

    Bali makes its money by catering to partiers.....

    This type of thing will make the Aussies, who do like their drugs, go somewhere else.

    Bali is duly stricken from my (none / 0) (#5)
    by ruffian on Tue Jan 22, 2013 at 03:45:05 PM EST
    "Eat, Pray, Love" itinerary.

    Parent
    Bali has great surf... (none / 0) (#7)
    by fishcamp on Wed Jan 23, 2013 at 12:00:36 AM EST
    just stay away from the bad places in town.  I've been there several times and never had any problems.  If you don't agree with their politics then don't go there.  I used to love Baghdad when it was beautiful but now it's not.  Afghanistan was another wonderful location but I'll never go there again.  Cambodia was great and now it's pitiful.  Laos is impossible and Thailand is not very good anymore.  Jakarta and all that area is horrible.  Hong Kong is ok but beyond expensive.  Europe hates us so I think I'll just stay home and fish when I want to.  Sorry to be so jaded.

    and yes I'm against the death penalty (none / 0) (#8)
    by fishcamp on Wed Jan 23, 2013 at 12:04:31 AM EST