A moving video showing a father’s first encounter with his tiny baby in prison circulates on social media.
The detainee is named Pandapotan Rangkuti (Dapot), the defendant in a case of a 250 kilogram marijuana courier who has just been sentenced to death by the Padangsidimpuan District Attorney, North Sumatra.
In the video uploaded to the Instagram account @viralciledug, it shows the first moment Dapot met his youngest daughter who was just born a few months ago.
It was said that his wife and children rarely visited the Dapot in prison because of the long distance from their hometowns and the limited travel costs.
While holding her little baby, Dapot is seen continuing to kiss her while making the call to prayer and chanting the holy Koran to her baby.
This baby is the youngest of four children from the marriage between Dapot and Nurmina Nasution.
It has been almost 8 months since the Dapot has been behind bars at the Salambue Class IIB Correctional Institution, Padangsidimpuan, North Sumatra.
He was convicted of his involvement as a courier delivering 250 kilograms of cannabis.
Together with his colleague Adi Saputra Nasution alias Boja, Dapot was charged with the death penalty by the Padangsidimpuan District Attorney for his involvement as a courier at the trial last Tuesday (18 August 2020).
While undergoing a virtual pledge trial, Dapot stammered that he was not a bad person.
He was forced to work as a marijuana courier because he was already confused about finding money to pay for his wife.
Every day he only works as a freelance driver with an uncertain income.
He was offered IDR 10 million on the condition of delivering marijuana.
Dapot, who at that time admitted that he really needed money, agreed with the offer.
Dapot and his colleague Boja admitted that they were only men who were asked to act as couriers by people named Faisal and Adek, who are suspected of having marijuana owners and intermediaries.
Meanwhile, the suspect’s attorney, Sahor Bangun Ritonga, said that if the public prosecutor should have reconsidered the demands for the death penalty given.
According to Sahor, the two clients were not the main actors who deserved the death penalty.
On the other hand, they can be used as an entry point for the authorities if they are serious about eradicating drugs.
In other words, Dapot and Boja meet the requirements to become justice collaborators.
“If you are sentenced to death, the story will be finished. It all stops at the courier level. Meanwhile, who the dealer and the farmer are not touched.
They are just sacrifices. Their economic situation is used to facilitate the actions of certain individuals, “Sahor explained.
