Court sentences Zimbabwean to eight years for heroin

JAKARTA (JP): The Central Jakarta District Court sentenced on Thursday Zimbabwean national Mecksom Ramson, alias Baba, 37, to eight years in prison and fined him Rp 5 million (US$560) for selling heroin through a go-between in December last year.

The go-between, Sriani alias Yani, 37, openly wept on Thursday after the same judge sentenced her to two years in prison and fined her Rp 2 million for attempting to sell heroin to an undercover police officer.

Presiding judge Chasyani Tanjung told the court that both defendants are guilty of violating Paragraph 1a of Article 82 of the 1997 Narcotics Law for distributing 30 grams of heroin (worth some Rp 12 million).

Paragraph 1a of the Article carries a maximum death punishment plus a fine of Rp 1 billion.

On Yani's misdemeanor, Chasyani blamed her for letting herself be used by a drug dealer and having a share in tarnishing the image of Indonesia.

"The main mitigating factor for Yani is that she comes from a very poor family, who needed money to support her four siblings and pay the medical bills of her parents, both of them who are currently hospitalized," Chasyani told the hearing.

"Her only fault is that of desperation, she allowed herself to become a tool of a drug dealer."

Chasyani said the detrimental factors for Baba were that he had refused to give any clear explanation to the court, only responding "I don't know" and "It's all lies."

"He also tarnished the good name of his countrymen living in Indonesia and the image of his homeland," Chasyani said.

"His only good point is that he has never had any legal problems before."

The verdict for Baba was much higher than the five-year jail term demanded by prosecutor Hermut Achmadi, while the verdict for Yani was lighter than the three-year jail term demanded by the same prosecutor.

Chasyani said that an undercover female City Police officer arrested Yani at the Atrium Mall in Central Jakarta as she was trying to sell a cigarette containing the 30 grams of heroin to the officer on Dec. 11 last year.

"The undercover officer was accompanied by two male undercover officers for backup. They later arrested Baba at the mall."

She said that the female officer, identified as Setyaningsih, had made her acquaintance with Baba and had arranged a meeting with him on Dec. 11 at the Atrium Mall for the drug transaction.

Upon reaching the mall, Chasyani said, Setyaningsih was notified by Baba that the one who would give her the drugs was his friend, later identified as Yani.

"Yani showed Setyaningsih the goods and the officer showed Yani the money, carried in a bag," Chasyani said.

Setyaningsih told Yani that it was not safe to make a transaction at the mall, so she told Yani to enter a taxi with her, Chasyani said.

Upon entering the taxi, Setyaningsih told Yani that she was under arrest and ordered the taxi driver to head for City Police station and notified her male counterparts at the mall to arrest Baba, the judge said. (ylt)