Granddaughter-in-law of Soeharto to face trial

JAKARTA (JP): West Jakarta Police submitted on Wednesday the dossiers of Gusti Maya Firanti Noor, a granddaughter-in-law of former president Soeharto, to the West Jakarta Prosecutor's Office.

Maya was arrested while carrying drugs last month in the parking lot of the Lokasari shopping center in West Jakarta.

"The West Jakarta police completed work on the dossiers yesterday (Tuesday) following a three-week investigation.

"It's now the responsibility of the West Jakarta Prosecutor's Office to continue with the prosecution," West Jakarta Police chief Sr. Supt. Adjie Rustam Ramdja said at a media conference in the precinct headquarters. The conference was also attended by Maya and her lawyer Humphrey R. Djemat.

Adjie said that besides the dossiers, the police had also handed over the evidence relating to the case and the suspect to the prosecutor's office.

The police have come in for considerable media and public criticism as Maya has reportedly been kept in a room at the West Jakarta Police station for the duration of the investigation. Female criminal suspects are normally detained at the Pondok Bambu Women's Penitentiary in East Jakarta.

The police stand accused of granting the wife of Ari Sigit Hardjojudanto, a grandson of Soeharto, special privileges.

Maya, who wore a blue shirt and black trousers at the conference, said that her latest involvement in drugs was part of therapy she was undergoing to completely free her from her addiction.

"I have been treated by my doctor since I became a drug addict a year ago. And I am still undergoing the treatment," she said.

Humphrey earlier said that Maya was being treated by Dr. Al Bahry Husin at the Wisma Adiksi drug rehabilitation center in Cinere, South Jakarta.

Maya denied that her involvement in drugs was endangering her marriage with Ari Sigit.

"We are still a married couple. We don't have any problems at all," she said, before citing that Ari had visited her several times at the police station.

She conceded that the family of the former president had yet to visit her during her stay at the police station.

"Perhaps they have been busy and have their own business," she said, rejecting speculation that the Soeharto family had abandoned her.

Maya, who lives in Gondangdia in the elite Menteng area of Central Jakarta, was arrested on June 22 in the parking lot of Lokasari shopping center.

Police seized from her a few grams of shabu-shabu (crystal methamphetamine), paraphernalia used to inhale the drug and a Rp 50,000 (US$5.5) banknote, which later turned out to be a counterfeit.

Maya told police investigators she had bought the drugs from a businessman identified as Ferry, who is still at large.

Adjie said police were now hunting for Ferry and members of his gang.

"He (Ferry) might be a drug supplier. We're concentrating on pursuing him and his gang members," he said.

Adjie, however, said the police had dropped charges relating to the counterfeit note.

"She said that she had no idea about the origin of the fake money. So, we're looking for the source of the fake money," he said.

Maya is being charged with carrying psychotropic substances, a violation of Article 62 of the Law on Psychotropic Substances, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in jail and a fine of Rp 100 million. (asa)