Court sentences Zimbabwean to eight years for heroin

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)