Appeals Court reduces Agus Isrok's sentence
Appeals Court reduces Agus Isrok's sentence
JAKARTA (JP): The Jakarta Military Appeals Court has reduced
the sentence handed down by a lower court in the drug case
involving Second Lt. Agus Isrok, the son of former Army Chief of
Staff Gen. (ret.) Subagyo Hadisiswoyo.
In its ruling, the Military Appeals Court halved Agus'
sentence to two years imprisonment, allowed him to stay in the
military and reduced his Rp 10 million fine to Rp 3 million.
But commander of the Jakarta military police Col. Yustiono
said on Friday that notwithstanding the court's ruling, Agus
would still be discharged from the Army as he had exceeded the
tolerable period of three months for absence from duty while
serving his jail term.
"Military regulations stipulate that a soldier who is absent
from duty for three months must be discharged. But in this case,
we will give him an honorable discharge," Yustiono told The
Jakarta Post.
Agus, 23, had been sentenced to four years in prison by the
Jakarta Military Tribunal, which also fined him Rp 10 million and
ordered his discharge from the Army.
The tribunal found Agus guilty of violating Article 78 (1) of
Law No. 22/1997 on narcotics, which carries a maximum sentence of
10 years imprisonment, as well as Article 62 of Law No. 5/1997 on
psychotropic substances, which carries a maximum sentence of five
years.
Agus' defense council Col. Afandi said recently that the panel
of judges who heard Agus' appeal ruled last Friday that the
appellant deserved a lighter punishment on the grounds that he
was still young and was not in possession of drugs.
West Jakarta Police apprehended Agus, a member of the Army
Special Forces (Kopassus) Group IV, and his friend in a hotel
room in West Jakarta in August of last year. From the two men the
police seized a matchbox containing three small packets of
crystal methamphetamine, locally called shabu-shabu, and a packet
of marijuana, which fell out of Agus' right pocket.
The police also found 1.6 kilograms of shabu-shabu, 6,218
ecstasy pills, 27.9 grams of heroin and 25 packets of valium
pills in a large black bag which was hidden in a cabinet in the
hotel room.
Agus, however, denied that the incriminating items belonged to
him.
Yustiono said Agus had been given 14 days to consider a
further appeal or to accept the sentence. Pending his decision,
Agus will be returned to his unit from Jakarta military police
custody.
If Agus accepts the appeals court verdict, he will serve the
remainder of his sentence in the military penitentiary in Cimahi,
Yustiono said.
Separately, the commander general of Kopassus Maj. Gen. Amirul
Isnaini said he was unsure as to whether to assign duties to Agus
during his brief return to his unit.
Amirul asserted, however, that Agus would not receive a
command brevet and, therefore, did not deserve to belong to the
corps.
Amirul also said that Kopassus would not intervene in the
legal process in Agus' case. (02)
JAKARTA (JP): The Jakarta Military Appeals Court has reduced
the sentence handed down by a lower court in the drug case
involving Second Lt. Agus Isrok, the son of former Army Chief of
Staff Gen. (ret.) Subagyo Hadisiswoyo.
In its ruling, the Military Appeals Court halved Agus'
sentence to two years imprisonment, allowed him to stay in the
military and reduced his Rp 10 million fine to Rp 3 million.
But commander of the Jakarta military police Col. Yustiono
said on Friday that notwithstanding the court's ruling, Agus
would still be discharged from the Army as he had exceeded the
tolerable period of three months for absence from duty while
serving his jail term.
"Military regulations stipulate that a soldier who is absent
from duty for three months must be discharged. But in this case,
we will give him an honorable discharge," Yustiono told The
Jakarta Post.
Agus, 23, had been sentenced to four years in prison by the
Jakarta Military Tribunal, which also fined him Rp 10 million and
ordered his discharge from the Army.
The tribunal found Agus guilty of violating Article 78 (1) of
Law No. 22/1997 on narcotics, which carries a maximum sentence of
10 years imprisonment, as well as Article 62 of Law No. 5/1997 on
psychotropic substances, which carries a maximum sentence of five
years.
Agus' defense council Col. Afandi said recently that the panel
of judges who heard Agus' appeal ruled last Friday that the
appellant deserved a lighter punishment on the grounds that he
was still young and was not in possession of drugs.
West Jakarta Police apprehended Agus, a member of the Army
Special Forces (Kopassus) Group IV, and his friend in a hotel
room in West Jakarta in August of last year. From the two men the
police seized a matchbox containing three small packets of
crystal methamphetamine, locally called shabu-shabu, and a packet
of marijuana, which fell out of Agus' right pocket.
The police also found 1.6 kilograms of shabu-shabu, 6,218
ecstasy pills, 27.9 grams of heroin and 25 packets of valium
pills in a large black bag which was hidden in a cabinet in the
hotel room.
Agus, however, denied that the incriminating items belonged to
him.
Yustiono said Agus had been given 14 days to consider a
further appeal or to accept the sentence. Pending his decision,
Agus will be returned to his unit from Jakarta military police
custody.
If Agus accepts the appeals court verdict, he will serve the
remainder of his sentence in the military penitentiary in Cimahi,
Yustiono said.
Separately, the commander general of Kopassus Maj. Gen. Amirul
Isnaini said he was unsure as to whether to assign duties to Agus
during his brief return to his unit.
Amirul asserted, however, that Agus would not receive a
command brevet and, therefore, did not deserve to belong to the
corps.
Amirul also said that Kopassus would not intervene in the
legal process in Agus' case. (02)