If what Tony de Malmanche's lawyer Craig Tuck is saying is true, surely this case deserves a closer look, says Linda Hall.
If Tony de Malmanche, the 52-year-old Whanganui man arrested for drug trafficking in Indonesia, does have mental-health issues and was really duped by a sophisticated international drug smuggling ring, then Prime Minister John Key needs to show some compassion and at least look into the case.
Anyone in their right
mind would surely not try to take 1.7kg of crystal methamphetamine into a country which punishes such crimes with the death penalty.
De Malmanche's Tauranga lawyer Craig Tuck is claiming his client has a history of mental illness and has spent years in institutional care.
De Malmanche is now facing the very real possibility of death by firing squad.
We have all seen the way drug traffickers are treated by Indonesian authorities. They parade them in front of media and the consequences are severe, sometimes fatal.
