Bali Nine: AFP Hopes Duo’s Death Serves as Tragic Reminder to People Engaging in Crimes

While not entirely happy over how the fates of Bali Nine ringleaders Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran unfolded in the past decade in Indonesia, Andrew Colvin, Australian Federal Police commissioner, nonetheless hoped their deaths would serve as a grim reminder to people engaging in crimes.

“The reality is while Australians travel overseas to countries with the death penalty that possibility still remains that those participating in crimes will be exposed to it,” he said. Suffice to say, it’s either such types of Australians mend their ways or risk their lives cut off because of what they do. “I wish I could assure you it won’t happen again, but I cannot,” he said.

Addressing the media in Canberra on Monday, Colvin said he understands the emotional outburst of the Australians against the AFP for its perceived role in 2005 that eventually led to the executions of Chan and Sukumaran in late April. But then again, he said he has no intention to convince the public to agree with the decisions the agency made 10 years ago. “Policing is difficult, and it involves making very difficult decisions.”

The AFP chief also said during the conference that they didn’t arrest the Bali Nine before they left Australia for Indonesia because of insufficient evidence at the time. “At the time we were working with a very incomplete picture.” He added the AFP didn’t even know the names of the people involved, the syndicate’s plans, “or even what the illicit commodity was likely to be.”

But Bob Myers, the barrister who tipped off the AFP regarding the nearing departure of the Bali Nine duo, blasted the agency’s excuses, saying it actually already had the evidence needed so they can make an arrest before even leaving for Indonesia. Myers is a lawyer based in Brisbane and is family friend of Bali Nine member Scott Rush, who is still serving a life sentence in Indonesia for his part in the crime. "(The AFP) were in effect importing the death penalty to Australia," he told ABC radio ahead of an AFP press conference.

But Mike Phelan, deputy commissioner, said that even with or without the tipoff, it is most certain that “we would still be in exactly the same position we are today."

Myers is adamant on his claim because of information given to him by Paul Hunniford, AFP’s senior liaison officer in Bali a decade ago. The lawyer claimed Hunniford told him it was certain that “one or more of them was going to die.” Myers said it was Hunniford who wrote to Indonesian police, asking them for the names and passport numbers of the Bali Nine members, as well as details of their plans.

“If there is a suspicion that ... the couriers are carrying the illegal narcotics at the time of their departure, please take whatever action that you consider necessary,” Myers claimed the letter to Indonesian police said.

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