Drug convict Agus Isrok still in the Army

Drug convict Agus Isrok still in the Army

JAKARTA (JP): Drug convict Second. Lt. Agus Isrok of the
Army's Special Forces (Kopassus) has been deemed to have accepted
the Jakarta Military High Court's verdict of last month, which
reduced his jail sentence and reinstated him as an Army officer,
the Supreme Court director for military crimes said on Tuesday.

Col. (ret) P. Panjaitan said Agus had failed to inform the
court as to his acceptance or rejection of the high court's
verdict within the 14-day period allowed to him, since the
verdict was issued by the Jakarta Military High Court on Nov. 24.

With the deadline elapsing on Dec. 8 and with no news having
been heard from Agus, Panjaitan said the Supreme Court officially
considered Agus to have accepted the verdict.

"In any case, it's illogical that he (Agus) would dare to
appeal the case.

"After all, the Jakarta Military High Court verdict reduced
his jail sentence to two years and allowed him to return to his
corps," Panjaitan told The Jakarta Post.

Kopassus spokesman Col. Herindra added that he too had not
been informed of Agus' decision.

"I just met him yesterday (Monday) and he said that his
lawyers were still processing the necessary documents. He did not
say anything about accepting the verdict or an appeal," Herindra
told the Post.

A military court discharged Agus from the Army on June 22, in
addition to sentencing him to four years in prison and fining him
Rp 10 million (US$1,052).

Agus, the eldest son of former Army chief Gen. Subagyo
Hadisiswoyo and an active member of Kopassus Group IV for
intelligence operations in Cijantung, East Jakarta, was found
guilty by the military court of possessing narcotics and
psychotropic substances on Aug. 8 last year.

"The defendant's actions directly contradicted everything that
a soldier should stand for. He has disgraced the name and image
of the Army, and Kopassus in particular," presiding judge Col.
Sarman Mulyana said when delivering the verdict last June.

"He is unfit to be a soldier. If he were to remain a soldier,
the court fears that he would repeat his crime. Therefore, the
court discharges him from all military duties as an additional
punishment to his four-year prison term."

The defendant was convicted of violating Article 78 (1) of Law
No. 22/1997 on narcotics, which carries a maximum sentence of 10
years in jail, and Article 62 of Law No. 5/1997 on psychotropic
substances, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in
jail.

Agus, 25, spent his jail term in a cell at Jakarta Military
Police Headquarters in South Jakarta. (01/ylt)