THE parents of the NSW teenager facing drugs charges in Bali have ”vigorously denied” they have sealed a lucrative media deal to tell their story, issuing a press release to reject suggestions they were profiting from their ”son’s misfortune”.
The release, issued through their Indonesian lawyers, Austrindo, says the 14-year-old’s father is a successful businessman who ”does not need the money that has been suggested”.
Reports emerged over the weekend that a deal worth up to $300,000 was done with Channel Nine and its magazines, citing unnamed sources at the network. Repeated phone calls and text messages to the boy’s lawyers at the weekend failed to bring any response either denying or confirming the story.
The parents accused the Australian media in Indonesia of making up the story even though it came out of Australia.
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But celebrity public relations agent Grant Vandenberg, who is acting for the family, said yesterday he had ”discussions” with Nine and many other media organisations but had not done a deal.
He did not rule out a paid appearance for the boy and his family after his trial is concluded in Bali this week.
But while Indonesian child protection officials and the lead prosecutor for the case expressed their dismay when reports of the deal emerged, the judge handling the case, Amser Simanjuntak, said any media arrangement would have ”no effect” on his decision.
”[They are] welcome to do so,” he said. ”If the boy himself and his parents agree, there’s no [Indonesian] law prohibiting them if they want to do an interview and expose themselves to the media.”
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A spokesman for Indonesia’s attorney-general’s department, Noor Rachmad, said the judge would only consider the facts relating directly to the boy’s alleged crime.
The Morisset Park youth bought 3.6 grams of cannabis in Bali 35 days ago and has told an Indonesian court he was a frequent user of the drug and had tried and failed to give up in the past.
The schoolboy has vowed to quit and pleaded to be allowed to return home. His legal defence is that, as an addict and a juvenile, he should not be charged at all.
Prosecutors have expressed sympathy for the boy’s plight and will make their sentence demand on Friday. Judge Simanjuntak is expected to deliver his verdict on Friday as well.
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