Image: Denpasar District Court. Credit. www.pn-denpasar.go.id
Australian, Isaac Emanuel Roberts, 35, became the centre of attention and gossip mongering at the Denpasar District Court recently. It was said that the defendant, who claims to have a psychological problem, was seen walking on Sanur Beach last week. The Australian media took photos of the accused strolling along Sanur Beach in board shorts and t-shirt looking very much like a free man. He was arrested at Ngurah Rai Airport on December 4, 2017, carrying five packages of crystal meth with the total weight of 19.97 grams and 14 ecstasy pills with total weight 6.22 grams.
To counter all the gossip, one of his lawyers, Mila Thayeb, told reporters yesterday at the courts that the walks were part of an oxygen therapy process. “Yes, he was walking on Sanur Beach at that time. It was a part of oxygen therapy, because the air quality is good on the beach. He was accompanied by a physician,” Mila said. She also added, the physician told her that Robert only walked for 500 meters during 15 minutes. “I was the one that recommended the therapy. That’s why I chose a physician to accompany him,” she said to beritabali.com.
It was interesting when everything that Mila said was contrary to the explanation from Edward Pangkahila, the accused’s lawyer coordinator. He said at a previous trial that the defendant will be accompanied by Bali Province National Drug officers during the rehabilitation process. In fact, the defendant, who was an accountant in his country, was only accompanied by a female physician that did not want to be named.
“For now, we are still planning what kind of program will be performed. We won’t let him walk on the beach anymore, to avoid this bad perception,” he said.
The trial yesterday (Monday 2/16) of Roberts at the Denpasar District Court had to be suspended, because Robert’s lawyers could not present Dr. Oka, the doctor who investigates prisoner’s with psychiatric issues at Bali Polda, who was going to testify in the case.
