Ecstasy owner goes on trial

JAKARTA (JP): A prosecutor asked West Jakarta District Court yesterday to sentence a 32-year-old man to four years in jail and fine him Rp 150 million (US$16,000) for possessing 45 Ecstasy pills.

Prosecutor Djaudin Toto said the defendant, Tjiu Kim alias Steven, was arrested at the Sydney 200 discotheque in Glodok, West Jakarta, on Dec. 12 last year in a police raid.

"A police officer found the pills in the defendant's T-shirt pocket," Toto said.

He said the defendant tried to give the pills to his girlfriend, identified as Ika Novi Astuti, before he was arrested.

Steven told police he bought the pills for Rp 2.25 million from a dealer named Aling, who is currently at large.

"The defendant has ruined the country's efforts to fight drug trafficking," Toto said.

Toto charged the defendant under Article 59 (1) of the Law No. 5/1997 on psychotropic drugs, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in jail and a Rp 750 million fine.

Presiding judge Soeratno adjourned the trial until next week to hear the defense case. (jun)