By Zach Hope
Batam, Indonesia: The father of NRL star Payne Haas will be spared the death penalty if he is extradited to Indonesia and convicted there of serious drug charges.
Gregor Haas has been in prison in the Philippine capital of Manila since mid-May after he was busted in a dramatic sting for his alleged involvement in an attempt to smuggle about five kilograms of methamphetamine into Indonesia.
Brisbane Broncos player Payne Haas (left) and Gregor Haas at the 2019 Dally M Awards.Credit: AAP
Police in Indonesia alleged the 47-year-old was connected to the infamous Sinaloa drug cartel and had tried to import the drugs into Jakarta inside a shipment of ceramic tiles sent from the Mexican city of Guadalajara.
If convicted in Indonesia, the quantity of drugs would be enough to qualify Haas for the death penalty, an untenable outcome for the Australian government, which has maintained a long-held position opposing capital punishment.
Marthinus Hukom, the head of Indonesia’s narcotics agency, said on Wednesday that senior government officials had promised Australian counterparts that they would take the death penalty off the table if Haas was sent to Indonesia.
“We made an agreement. We promised to make sure that it will not go to the death penalty,” Hukom said.
Payne Haas in action for the Broncos in last year’s grand final against Penrith.Credit: NRL Photos
The decision has been spoken about in private for some time, but this is the first time a senior official has gone on the record. Haas still faces a lengthy sentence if found guilty in Indonesia.
Hukom hoped Indonesia would get Haas before its own courts, but said the government would explore a joint investigation into the alleged crimes with Australian police.
The Philippines, which will soon have to make a decision about where to send Haas, is stuck in the middle. The Australian arrived there on a tourist visa in December, about the same time as the drugs were discovered in Indonesia, according to Philippine authorities.
Haas’ family desperately hopes to have him sent from Manila directly to Australia. His lawyer declined to comment.
The three-member board of commissioners within the Philippines Bureau of Immigration [BI] are expected to meet soon to decide what to do with him.
BI Spokeswoman Dana Sandoval has previously told this masthead the Philippines would consult Australia, not because it had to, but as a matter of goodwill.
“This is a big case already for Australia and it’s also a big case for Indonesia,” she said.
“We’re actually surprised that this is making headlines because, at first, we thought it was just a regular arrest of a fugitive. But we found out this is going to be quite big, and it could mean diplomatic consideration. We are looking into these considerations before we make a decision.”
The Department of Foreign Affairs has been contacted for comment.
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