Military prosecutors say Agus trial right thing to do

JAKARTA (JP): Military prosecutors defended on Thursday their right to prosecute Army Second Lt. Agus Isrok over his alleged possession and trafficking of drugs last August.

"We received the dossiers of the defendant from the Jakarta military police, not from the West Jakarta Police, who initially caught the defendant along with alleged civilian accomplice Donny Hendrian," military prosecutor Maj. P. Situmorang said before a hearing at the Jakarta Military Court in Pondok Kopi district, East Jakarta.

"The West Jakarta Police have divided the case, which involved both a military officer and a civilian, into two separated cases.

"One case which involves a military officer (Agus Isrok) is being tried by a military tribunal, while the second case which involves a civilian (Donny Hendrian) is being tried at the West Jakarta District Court," he added.

Agus' lawyers demanded last Friday that the military court drop the indictment against the Army officer, saying it was the jurisdiction of the West Jakarta District Court to prosecute the defendant.

"Agus' case must be tried at a joint civilian-military court," one of the lawyers, Col. A. Afandi, told the hearing last Friday.

Situmorang said it was not necessary to hold a joint civilian- military court to try both defendants.

"The lawyers' demand is groundless as the investigation into both cases was conducted separately.

"Besides, each of the two defendants only acts as a witness at each other's trial," he said.

The West Jakarta District Court sentenced Donny on April 10 to nine years in jail for possessing and transporting narcotic and psychotropic substances.

"The defendant has been found guilty of violating Article 78 of the 1997 Law on Narcotics and Article 62 of the 1997 Law on Psychotropic Substances," said presiding judge Hadi Lelana at a hearing in the district court.

In the indictment, the military prosecutors accuse Agus, the oldest son of former Army chief Gen. Subagyo Hadisiswoyo, of possessing and carrying narcotic and psychotropic substances.

It says the police seized two small plastic bags of shabu- shabu (crystal methamphetamine) and marijuana packed in a matchbox from Agus' trouser pockets.

Agus, a member of the Army's Special Force (Kopassus), was arrested, along with Donny, during an early morning raid last August. Police also confiscated from the hotel room 1.6 kilograms of shabu-shabu, 6,218 ecstasy pills, 27.9 grams of heroin and 25 sachets of Valium pills and drug paraphernalia in a big bag.

Presiding judge Col. Sarman Mulyana decided to adjourn the hearing until next Thursday to announce the pretrial verdict. (nvn)