Dutch defendant may get six years for drug deals

Dutch defendant may get six years for drug deals

JAKARTA (JP): A state prosecutor has asked the Central Jakarta
District Court to sentence Dutch national Christian van den
Bosch, who is being tried on drug trafficking charges, to six
years imprisonment.

Prosecutor Suriansjah told the district court on Saturday that
the defendant was subject to punishment under Criminal Law No.
23/1992 for selling dangerous drugs.

The act stipulates in Article 81, Paragraph 2, that if found
guilty, any accused person can face up to a maximum of seven
year's imprisonment and/or a fine of Rp 140 million (more than
US$64,750).

The 27-year old defendant, along with three accomplices,
including another Dutchman, was arrested by police on Feb. 6 at
the Borobudur Hotel, Central Jakarta, during an attempted sale of
"Eva" pills containing "derivate amphetamine" which is listed as
a dangerous drug.

In his sentence request, Suriansjah said that based on
witnesses' testimony and physical evidence collected there should
be no doubt about the involvement of the defendant in the crime.

The defendant has visited Indonesia six times in just over a
year, with the first trip being in October 1992. He arrived in
January 1994 on his last visit.

Based on police questioning it was revealed that the defendant
bought the pills in the Netherlands for a woman named Nova, whom
he met at the Tanamoor discotheque in Tanah Abang, Central
Jakarta, in 1993.

The defendant promised to supply the pills to Nova at a price
of Rp 80,000 each.

After making the tentative deal with Nova, the defendant
reportedly returned to the Netherlands. According to police
reports, he admitted to sending packages containing the Eva pills
to Nova under the address of Steven J. Bryner, a security officer
at the American embassy here in Jakarta.

Last January the defendant returned to Jakarta with the intent
of giving the pills to Nova. On Feb. 5 he was contacted by Irsan,
an Indonesian who said he was to conduct the transaction for Nova
at the Borobudur Hotel the next night.

It was during that next night at the Lobby Coffee shop of the
hotel that the defendant was arrested along with Steven Bryner,
Peter Karajin, both Americans, Leonard Jacobus, alias Levi, the
other Dutch national, and Irsan.

Bryner and Karajin were both American embassy personnel here
in Jakarta. They have been extradited for trial in the U.S.
territory of Guam under diplomatic immunity.

Jacobus, the Dutchman who is accused of making the actual
transaction with Irsan in the coffee shop's toilet, while the
others waited outside, is being tried separately at the Central
Jakarta District Court.

Informant

According to the head of the arresting police unit, Maj.
Charles Marpaung, he had been told of the impending transaction
by an anonymous informant the night before the bust.

He also explained that in a subsequent search of Bryner's
residence at Jl. Cikatomas I, No. 31, South Jakarta, an
additional 7,500 pills were found.

Charles added that it was during this search that Irsan, who
was brought along to facilitate the investigation, managed to
escape. He remains at large.

During the course of the two-month long trial, the defendant
has withdrawn the statements he made during questioning, saying
that they were made under duress. The defendant claims he was
taken to a building, which he could not identify, and threatened
with a 15-year jail sentence unless he cooperated, before being
taken to the police station.

The defendant has pleaded his innocence, saying the drugs
belonged to Steven Bryner.

Bryner has submitted written testimony stating that he learned
of the drugs from the defendant.

Several months before the arrest, both the defendant and
Jacobus had taken up residence at Bryner's house.

Peter Karajin said in written testimony he was not aware of
the whole affair and was at the Borobudur Hotel only to accompany
friends.

Jacobus, a Dutch citizen of Ambonese descent, maintains that
the 162 Eva pills found in his possession during his arrest were
for his own personal use.

He says that he went to the hotel toilet to consume the pills
for himself and that unknowingly he was followed by Irsan who
then asked him if he could buy some pills.

A clause in the Indonesian drug law, Stbld. No. 419/1949
Article 1, allows the possession of dangerous drugs as long as
they are for personal medical needs.

Prosecutor Suriansjah has blasted any attempt by either the
defendant or Jacobus to hide behind this law.

"With 7,500 pills? It is quite obvious that such a large
number of pills was not for personal use, but for sale and
distribution," he said.

The trial, presided over by Judge Djamil Sularso, was
adjourned until July 13, when Christian van den Bosch's lawyer,
Azis Affandi, will present his client's final defense statement. (mds)