Agus' military court hearing set for Friday

JAKARTA (JP): Drug suspect Second. Lt. Agus Isrok is expected to appear in Jakarta Military Court for the first hearing over his alleged role in a drug case on Friday, a report said on Monday.

Antara quoted an unidentified source as saying that Agus, a member of the Army's Special Forces (Kopassus), was arrested at a hotel in West Jakarta along with an accomplice and a wide variety of drugs on Aug. 8 last year.

The source said that Agus would face "a stiff indictment" by the military court.

He refused to disclose further details, including the possibility that the court might court-martial Agus.

The trial of Agus -- son of former Army's chief of staff Gen. Soebagyo Hadisiswoyo -- has long been awaited by the public. In the past top officials and their relatives were seldom brought to justice.

Agus and his accomplice, Donny Hendrian, who has already been tried in a civilian court over the case, was apprehended with 1.6 kilograms of shabu-shabu (crystal metamphetamine), 6,218 ecstasy pills, 27.9 grams of heroin and 25 sachets of Valium pills by the West Jakarta Police detectives.

Both Agus and Donny have repeatedly denied the possession of the drugs.

During the raid, Agus even used a fake name, Deky Setiawan, in an attempt to prevent the good name of his family and Kopassus from being ruined.

In the latest hearing of Donny's trial at the West Jakarta district court last week, prosecutor Ferry Mupahir demanded the court to sentence the defendant to 13 years in jail.

During Donny's trial, Agus appeared as a witness.

During the hearing, Agus also denied a meeting with Aciang, a suspected drug dealer during his stay at the hotel with Donny. Aciang is still at large.

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

He said it was hotel matches, and when the police showed him the shabu-shabu, he said it was already there. (asa)