A young Albanian risks the death penalty, as accused of involvement in drug trafficking in China.
Top Channel has learned that the prosecutor of the Hou Xiangdong case in this judicial process, a few days ago requested the death penalty for the young Albanian with the initials KK arrested as part of a criminal group.
The prosecutor asked for capital punishment for 5 other accused of this group of 17 people, a citizen of China and another Vietnamese.
According to the Chinese police, they tried to bring 1 ton of Cocaine, which was bought in Latin America, into the communist state with a ship leaving from Hong Kong.
At the moment when they saw that a Chinese Coast Guard ship was approaching, the captain of the ship, Wu Duojian, instructed the six sailors, including the young Albanian, to throw the drug packages into the sea.
The young Albanian is 36 years old, originally from a city in the south of Albania. His family members were in China to follow the court process.
Top Channel was told that the trial took place in the Guangzhou court on June 11-14. His lawyer explained in the courtroom that against the Albanian with the initials KK, there should be a lighter measure, with a prison sentence and not the death penalty.
According to the lawyer, the young Albanian is a victim of this situation and is not an organizer of cocaine trafficking.
From the data collected by the Albanian’s lawyer, including the testimonies of other detainees while the drugs were being transported, the young Albanian was employed as a sailor on this ship. He had realized that he was involved in a criminal group when he was ordered by the captain of the ship to throw the amount of cocaine into the sea.
The young Albanian’s lawyer told the court in China that: ” At no time has he knowingly given help to the load that was being transported because he was not aware of this work either. He was guided through a lady with a satellite phone who offered him work and money for travel expenses. At no point did she make it clear to my Albanian client that the work she had hired him for was drugs and not service goods as the lady claimed .
The young Albanian’s lawyer brought another argument to the court’s attention.
” He should be prosecuted by the Hong Kong courts of justice, as the real crime boss is being tried in Hong Kong and he has received the lighter sentence of imprisonment. Under these conditions, there is no way to sentence my client to death when he is in no case the organizer of the crime, except the victim and prey of the organizing group’s deception .
The court in China is expected to give the decision for the Albanian and the other 16 arrested during the month of July. / TCH
