Rui Viana, the Madeiran who is in Indonesia for drug trafficking, faces a “minimum sentence of 5 years and a maximum of 20 years in prison,” a local official revealed at a press conference today. This contradicts initial reports stating that he would be sentenced to life imprisonment or death by firing squad.
According to Detik News, the statement read:
“We arrested a man with the initials RPAV [Rui Viana] on the 17th of March. He was acting as a courier,” said the director of Ditres Narkoba, Kombes Pol Hengki, adding that, in exchange, he received “a payment of six thousand euros.”
According to the police, the investigation is still ongoing in order to identify “potential recipients” of the drug that Rui Viana was carrying when he was arrested on arrival at the airport.
The Madeiran was intercepted in possession of three bottles of shampoo that contained liquid cocaine: “One of the bottles of shampoo contained liquid cocaine with a gross weight of 977.2 milliliters or 1005.4 grams. A second vial with a gross weight of 709.3 milliliters or 729.7 grams. And the other bottle of shampoo weighed 912.4 milliliters or 938.7 grams. Therefore, the [total amount] was 2,598.9 milliliters or 2,673.8 grams,” the head of the investigation explained.
Meanwhile, the Portuguese Embassy in Jakarta confirmed to the Observador newspaper that it carried out a second visit to Rui Lima and the other Portuguese man who was also detained in connection with this case.
The Madeiran detained in Indonesia is the son of Rui Óscar, a former Marítimo footballer, who also represented FC Porto and Boavista. IC Notícias recently reported that the youngster, Rui Viana, was also a talented footballer, having been federated in the youth teams of Marítimo and Câmara de Lobos. It was the Mayor of Câmara de Lobos, Higino Teles, who reported on television news channels that he had asked the Portuguese State to request clemency.
Rui Viana had recently left the island, and flew to Lisbon airport on the 16th of March, from where he then departed for Jakarta – a trip with a stopover in Dubai. He was intercepted by authorities as soon as he landed at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta.
He has reportedly cooperated with local authorities.
The case is being monitored by the Portuguese Government and the Regional Directorate for Communities. The family has made every effort to have diplomatic support and has been trying to establish contact with the 20-year-old.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
