Duo transfer looms
Death-row pair in Bali move to execution site
BALI’S Chief Prosecutor says the condemned Bali Nine duo will be moved to Nusa Kambangan island this week.
Momock Bambang Samiarso said yesterday morning that he had been instructed by the Attorney-General to move Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran to the execution island this week.
“Everything is ready,” Mr Samiarso said at his office before going into a further meeting about the on-again off-again transfer. “Yes, it will be this week for sure. “Today (yesterday) I will have a meeting and hope that it will be soon.”
Earlier, Andrew Chan’s brother Michael said his sibling and Sukumaran could be a prototype for combating drugs and prison rehabilitation in Indonesia if they are given a chance to live.
Iinterviewed on Indonesian television station TV One, Mr Chan said the two Australian families just hope the Indonesian President Joko Widodo can find it in his heart to grant mercy.
“As a family we are very sorry for this situation and we apologise for Andrew. It has brought a lot of unnecessary shame to Indonesian people and their country,” he said.
The five-and-a-half minute interview, which aired on Sunday, was considerably longer than the 50 seconds devoted to the issue by rival network Metro TV after it interviewed members of both the Chan and Sukumaran families last week.
It comes as opposition to the death penalty is gaining voice in the national capital Jakarta, with the city’s Governor and close ally of the President saying on the weekend that drug criminals should not be executed because they can be rehabilitated.
The Governor, popularly known as Ahok, says he has voiced his opinion to the President.
Mr Chan said his brother and Sukumaran were, despite the emotion of the past few weeks, continuing their rehabilitation work inside the jail.
“All the painting, computer classes, rehabilitation and church services that the boys have done in the last 10 years, they would like to keep on doing that,” Mr Chan said.
Andrew Chan, 31, was ordained as an Australian Government-registered and ordained minister under the umbrella of Crosslink Christian Network of churches on February 2.
It followed years of religious study and dedication after his arrest.
He works in the jail’s chapel and runs a counselling group in the jail.
Chan’s ordination was not mentioned on the TV One interview but Michael Chan told the Bulletin yesterday that the whole family and especially mother Helen, who was in the jail for the private ordination ceremony, were very proud of him.
In a bittersweet moment, as her son’s life hung in the balance, Mrs Chan cried tears of joy as she watched Andrew ordained and presented with a Bible.
But the Bible his family gave him, a couple of weeks after his arrest almost a decade ago, remains his treasure.
Mr Chan said in his TV One interview that his brother was a changed man and apologised for the unnecessary shame his and Sukumaran’s crime had caused the Indonesian people and country.
Asked about his message for Mr Widodo, Mr Chan said the rehabilitation work of the “two boys” would not have been possible without the support of the Indonesian officials and Government.
Several others among the 10 listed for execution also have legal proceedings in action – two have applied for judicial review of their case, another is appealing against the delay in refusing clemency breaching guidelines and a Brazilian man who is mentally ill is due for a medical assessment.