Dutch suspect says he was framed in Ecstasy case<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A Dutch businessman standing trial on charges of
\ntrafficking nearly 1,000 Ecstasy pills, yesterday told the
\nCentral Jakarta District Court he was framed.<\/p>\n
In his closing statement, the 56-year-old Dutchman said police
\nofficers who apprehended him at a four-star hotel last April,
\nallowed the alleged ecstasy buyer to walk away free.<\/p>\n
\"I was framed up by a group involving at least 13 people,\"
\nsaid the Dutchman who is a consultant for a local cement company.
\nHe accused the arresting officers of being involved.<\/p>\n
He said he was not aware Ecstasy was banned in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"I always thought Ecstasy was free in Indonesia because there
\nis no law banning it and besides, many people, including police
\nofficers, have told me so.<\/p>\n
\"Had I known Ecstasy was banned, obviously I would never have
\nwanted to keep them in the first place.\"<\/p>\n
Prosecutor Petrus Sambara has demanded a three-year jail term
\nand a Rp 2.5 million ($1,050) fine for the defendant.<\/p>\n
The Dutchman was arrested in a hotel lobby on April 3,
\nallegedly just as he was about to sell ecstasy. The arresting
\nofficers said they found several thousands more Ecstasy pills in
\nhis car and office.<\/p>\n
The prosecutor, however, is only pressing charges for
\ntrafficking the 998 pills involved in the aborted transaction.<\/p>\n
Article 81 (2) of the 1992 Health Law, upon which the case is
\nbuilt, bans the distribution, but not the possession, of drugs
\nnot registered with the Ministry of Health.<\/p>\n
The defendant, from Gouda in the Netherlands, insisted the
\n6,000 pills found in his possession belonged to a Dutch
\nacquaintance he identified only as \"Mr. Anthony.\"<\/p>\n
Later, he received a call from a woman identified as Siska who
\nasked him to bring the pills to a hotel on Jl. M.H. Thamrin, and
\nto meet a man named Ho.<\/p>\n
The defendant said he went to the hotel and met Ho, and 10
\nother people, who turned out to be police officers. He was then
\narrested.<\/p>\n
The Dutchman refuted the court testimony of two arresting
\nofficers who said they did not have the chance to arrest Ho
\nbecause they were busy apprehending him. (16)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/dutch-suspect-says-he-was-framed-in-ecstasy-case-1447893297",
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