Defendant hits prosecutor after being convicted

Defendant hits prosecutor after being convicted

JAKARTA (JP): Enraged by a six-year jail term handed down by
the Central Jakarta District Court for selling Ecstasy pills, a
satay seller hit a prosecutor with a bench yesterday.

Prosecutor Lukimanto was not seriously injured and said he
would forgive the defendant, Arif Andi, 37, who refused to be
represented by a lawyer during his trial.

The incident occurred at the detention building opposite the
courtroom when the prosecutor was escorting the convicted man
back to his cell shortly after presiding judge Pangeran Siregar
read the verdict.

Eyewitnesses said they heard Arif say: "I got a long sentence
because of you." Arif then reportedly grabbed a bench and smashed
it on the prosecutor's back.

Court officials ran to the scene and brought Arif under
control. He then apologized to Lukimanto for being unable to
control his emotions.

The prosecutor had earlier demanded that the court sentence
Arif to seven years in jail for possessing 63 Ecstasy tablets and
some marijuana.

Lukimanto said Arif was angry probably because he knew that a
friend of his was sentenced to only four years for possessing 400
pills.

"In addition to the 63 pills, Arif was also found in
possession of marijuana. He was charged under two articles,"
Lukimanto said.

He said he had no intention of pressing any charges over the
attack.

Arif, who sold satay near Merdeka Discotheque on Jl. Kebon
Kelapa, Central Jakarta, was found guilty of possessing 63
Ecstasy pills and 50 cigarettes of marijuana.

Police arrested him on Sept. 23 at the discotheque compound
and confiscated the pills and marijuana hidden in his stall,
judge Siregar said in his verdict.

Arif was caught following the arrest of his accomplice, Agus.
The latter was arrested while offering Ecstasy pills to an
undercover police officer at the discotheque.

Agus told police that the pills belonged to Arif. Agus is
being tried in a separate trial in the same court.

Arif told police that he bought the pills at Rp 32,000
(US$3.2) each and the marijuana at Rp 3,000 a cigarette from a
dealer in West Jakarta, Siregar said.

The defendant then sold each pill for Rp 40,000 to discotheque
visitors, he said.

Siregar said Arif was found guilty of violating Article 59 (1)
of Law No. 5/1997 on psychotropic drugs and Article 23 (3) of Law
No. 5/1976 on narcotics. (jun)