Drug suspect could face 10 years
<p>Drug suspect could face 10 years</p><p>Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang</p><p>Prosecutors asked the Tangerang District Court on Tuesday to
sentence Lesotho national Ramakau Jonas, alias Npoto, to 10 years
in prison for the possession of 50 grams of heroin.</p><p>Prosecutors Faisal Adi and Mulyadi, who read out the
indictment on Tuesday, said the 32-year-old defendant was guilty
of violating Article 78 of Law No. 22/1997 on narcotics.</p><p>Police arrested Jonas, who is married to an Indonesian woman
with whom he has a son, in front of a supermarket on Jl. Juanda
in Ciputat, Tangerang, on March 4.</p><p>According to prosecutors, police received a tip from a woman
that the defendant would be involved in a drug transaction at 10
a.m. in front of the supermarket.</p><p>They said that two detectives observed the defendant and
approached him. In a search, a plastic bag containing a white
powder was found. Laboratory tests later confirmed the powder was
heroin.</p><p>"Fortunately, the police officers were able to arrest him
before a transaction took place," the prosecutors said.</p><p>Initially, prosecutors charged the defendant under Article 82
of the Law on Narcotics, which carries a maximum sentence of
death for drug trafficking.</p><p>But they were unable to prove the defendant violated this
article because no transaction had occurred.</p><p>Presiding judge Suprapto adjourned the trial until next week
to hear from defense lawyer Dadi Waluyo.</p><p>The prosecutors cited the defendant's ignorance of Indonesia's
antidrug campaign and the threat he posed to the nation's young
people as incriminating factors.</p><p>The fact that the defendant had no criminal record was
mentioned as a mitigating factor.</p><p>Prosecutors also asked that the defendant be fined Rp 1
million (US$101).</p><p>Several drug suspects have been sentenced to death by the
Tangerang District Court.</p>
sentence Lesotho national Ramakau Jonas, alias Npoto, to 10 years
in prison for the possession of 50 grams of heroin.</p><p>Prosecutors Faisal Adi and Mulyadi, who read out the
indictment on Tuesday, said the 32-year-old defendant was guilty
of violating Article 78 of Law No. 22/1997 on narcotics.</p><p>Police arrested Jonas, who is married to an Indonesian woman
with whom he has a son, in front of a supermarket on Jl. Juanda
in Ciputat, Tangerang, on March 4.</p><p>According to prosecutors, police received a tip from a woman
that the defendant would be involved in a drug transaction at 10
a.m. in front of the supermarket.</p><p>They said that two detectives observed the defendant and
approached him. In a search, a plastic bag containing a white
powder was found. Laboratory tests later confirmed the powder was
heroin.</p><p>"Fortunately, the police officers were able to arrest him
before a transaction took place," the prosecutors said.</p><p>Initially, prosecutors charged the defendant under Article 82
of the Law on Narcotics, which carries a maximum sentence of
death for drug trafficking.</p><p>But they were unable to prove the defendant violated this
article because no transaction had occurred.</p><p>Presiding judge Suprapto adjourned the trial until next week
to hear from defense lawyer Dadi Waluyo.</p><p>The prosecutors cited the defendant's ignorance of Indonesia's
antidrug campaign and the threat he posed to the nation's young
people as incriminating factors.</p><p>The fact that the defendant had no criminal record was
mentioned as a mitigating factor.</p><p>Prosecutors also asked that the defendant be fined Rp 1
million (US$101).</p><p>Several drug suspects have been sentenced to death by the
Tangerang District Court.</p>