Ecstasy trial continues

Ecstasy trial continues

TANGERANG, West Java (JP): The defense lawyers of a woman
being tried for attempting to smuggle 9,000 Ecstasy pills into
the country asked the Tangerang District Court yesterday to drop
the charges against their client.

According to the lawyers, Nuryanto and Rusdi Sovian, the
prosecutors could not use Health Regulation No. 23/1992 to
convict the 41-year-old defendant, Elizabeth Lushe Wongkar.

According to Nuryanto, only institutions, professional and
business groups having expertise in public health, not
individuals, are subject to the regulation.

"The defendant is only a woman who has no expertise in public
health. She had the Ecstasy pills just because she thought the
pills could make her a lot of money," he said.

In their rebuttal, the lawyers also refuted the prosecutor's
indictment that the defendant attempted to traffic the pills. The
prosecutor did not elaborate what attempts the defendant made to
sell the Ecstasy, they said.

Elizabeth Lushe Wongkar was apprehended by the Sukarno-Hatta
International Airport's customs and excise officials on March 27,
1997 for bringing 9,000 Ecstasy pills from the Netherlands.

She claimed she bought the pills from someone named Sonny Luis
Lai in Den Haag. She then boarded a Lufthansa flight which landed
at Sukarno-Hatta at 7:45 a.m.

In the previous hearing on Aug.7, the public prosecutor,
Sarwono, accused Elizabeth of attempting to smuggle the illegal
drug into Indonesia. If found guilty, the defendant could be
imprisoned for up to 15 years and fined up to Rp 300 million
(US$128,597).

The trial was adjourned until Aug. 21. (28/26)