S. African faces 15 years in the pen<\/p>\n
Prosecutors are demanding that Nkosi Augustine, alias Austin, a
\nSouth African citizen, be sentenced to 15 years in jail and fined
\nRp 5 million (US$550) for drug possession.<\/p>\n
Prosecutor Mamat Ruchimat told a hearing at the West Jakarta
\nDistrict Court on Thursday that the sentence was appropriate as
\nwitness testimonies and evidence showed that the defendant
\nviolated Article 82 of Law No. 22\/1997 on narcotics, for illegal
\npossession and drug trafficking of a Type I drug.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, the defendant's alleged crime has the potential
\nto destroy the future of the nation's youth, and was in direct
\nviolation of the government's attempt to eliminate drug abuse in
\nthe country.<\/p>\n
Prosecutors said that Austin, 23, was arrested on April 26 by
\nPetamburan Police in a hotel in Central Jakarta. Police officers
\nfound 75.62 grams of heroin wrapped in a sock inside the
\nunderwear he was wearing.<\/p>\n
Austin denied that the drug was his, but belonged to Oliver, a
\nfellow expatriate who had promised Austin Rp 200,000 to deliver
\nthe drug to a buyer at the hotel.<\/p>\n
Austin, who claims he is a football player, said that he took
\nup Oliver's offer because he had run out of money, after failing
\nto find a football club willing to hire him.<\/p>\n
Court translators had to repeatedly explain the prosecutor's
\ndemands, when Austin, who does not speak Indonesian and was not
\naccompanied by a lawyer, said that he did not understand.<\/p>\n
Presiding judge Purnomo Rijadi gave the defendant one week to
\nprepare and deliver his defense plea, in which Austin replied
\nthat he would write it himself in English.<\/p>\n
The trial will continue on Nov. 4 to hear the defense's plea.
\n-- JP<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/s-african-faces-15-years-in-the-pen-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}