Agus appears in court, declares his innocence

JAKARTA (JP): Only one day after his father vowed not to interfere in the investigation and prosecution process, Army Second Lt. Agus Isrok appeared at West Jakarta District Court on Monday to defend his innocence in a drug abuse and trafficking case.

Agus, a member of the Army's Special Force (Kopassus), testified as a witness in the trial of Donny Hendrian, who was arrested along with the low-ranking officer, for alleged possession of drugs last August.

Agus' father is former Army chief of staff Gen. Subagyo Hadisiswoyo, who is currently a military advisor to President Abdurrahman Wahid. Subagyo told reporters after playing tennis at the Senayan sports complex on Sunday that he had not interfered with the investigation into Agus' alleged involvement in drug abuse and trafficking.

Arriving at the court under tight security of several plainclothes officers, Agus appeared in the courtroom at 1:05 p.m. wearing a black tie, a long-sleeved white shirt and black pants. He looked calm and full of confidence throughout the hearing.

The 24-year-old officer had failed to attend the previous hearings after being summoned under his alias, Deky Setiawan. The same name was listed on the police report and in the prosecutor's indictment.

Agus told the hearing, presided over by Judge Hadi Lelana, that he first met the defendant, Donny Hendrian, only six months ago.

"The defendant is only an acquaintance," he said. He said he had only met Donny about five or six times during the six months.

Similarly, Donny acknowledged that he first met Agus six months ago at a gathering at a coastal pond in Karawang, West Java.

"A businessman introduced me to Agus," he said after the hearing.

Agus said he was at Hotel Travel on Jl. Mangga Besar in West Jakarta, as stated in the indictment, because it was his birthday, which fell on Aug. 6.

He insisted that it was the defendant who invited him to the hotel.

"I was called by the defendant to go to room 408 in the hotel at 1 p.m.," he said, adding that he arrived at about 3 p.m.

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The witness denied the allegation that he consumed drugs with the defendant during his stay at the hotel.

"I spent my time reading newspapers, watching television and chatting with Donny. Then I went to bed at about 9 p.m.," he said.

"I did not see anything on the desk," he added.

The police report said there were traces of shabu-shabu (crystal methamphetamine) on a desk in the room, along with paraphernalia to inhale the drug.

Agus said no other people had entered the room up until the time he and the defendant were arrested by the police at about 2 a.m. the following day.

He also denied having a meeting with Aciang, a suspected drug dealer during his stay at the hotel, saying that he did not know the person. Aciang is still at large.

Donny, however, refuted the witness' testimony, saying that he, Agus and Aciang met on that day. "We met with Aciang, but probably he (Agus) did not know his name," Donny said.

Agus said the police seized from him matches and a packet of cigarettes. The police report said the match box contained a few grams of shabu-shabu, which Agus denied was his.

"They were hotel matches. Right after the arrest, the police showed me the matches, which already contained a few grams of white crystal," he said, referring to the shabu-shabu.

The judge asked prosecutor Amirullah to present the evidence to the court, but Amirullah said it was not among the evidence in his possession.

Col. Hendardji, a senior official at the National Military Police Headquarters, said recently that the evidence was in the hands of military investigators.

During the early morning raid, the police also reportedly seized 1.6 kilograms of shabu-shabu, 6,218 ecstasy pills, 27.9 grams of heroin and 25 sachets of Valium pills.

Agus also denied possessing the drugs, which were packed in a big black bag.

"When I woke up, the police were already in the hotel room, and I saw them opening the bag," he said.

Defendant Donny also denied possessing the drugs.

Agus also testified in favor of Donny, saying: "I never saw Donny consuming shabu-shabu nor trafficking drugs during his stay at the hotel," he said.

Asked by the prosecutor why he used the name Deky Setiawan during the arrest instead of Agus Isrok, he said it was to protect the name of his corps and that of his family.

Another witness at Monday's hearing, Zainal Abidin, testified that the room was registered under the defendant's name.

"The defendant booked the room by using an identity card," Zainal, the operational manager of the hotel, said.

The judge adjourned the hearing until next week to hear testimonies from witnesses. (asa)