Missing evidence questioned

Missing evidence questioned

TANGERANG (JP): A defendant in a drug case burst into tears
after finding out that Rp 10 million and three cellular phones
belonging to her which had been confiscated by the police were
missing.

The defendant, Erni bin Muchtadi, 37, a resident of Jl. Mangga
Besar VIII, Central Jakarta, is on trial before the Tangerang
District Court for illegal possession of shabu-shabu (crystal
methamphetamine) and ecstasy pills.

She was arrested by a squad of patrolling police officers on
April 16 this year as she was allegedly making a drug transaction
in her car on Jl. Kelapa Puan 18, Gading Serpong housing complex,
in the Curug district of Tangerang.

Erni told the court that when her car was searched, police
officers seized Rp 10,551,000, allegedly obtained from selling
drugs, four cellular phones, nine packets of shabu shabu weighing
27 grams in total, and two blue ecstasy pills.

But when prosecutor Laswan read out his indictment, he said
that there was only Rp 551,000, one cellular phone, and the drugs
accompanying the book of evidence which was furnished to the
prosecutors' office by the police.

Following Presiding Judge Suhartoyo's order, the prosecutor
presented First. Brig. Denny Hidayat, a Tangerang police
investigator, to testify before the court.

"When preparing the book of evidence, I was only given Rp
551,000, a mobile phone and the drugs by First. Adj. Brig Abu
Bakar, who arrested the defendant," Denny told the hearing.

However, the defendant insisted that Deny had received all of
the money and the four cell phones.

Judge Suhartoyo, however, turned down a request from the
defendant's lawyer, Husein Tuhuteru, for an order summoning Abu
Bakar and other police investigators to testify about the
allegedly missing evidence.

"This court is only concerned with the substance of the case.
Furthermore, the witness was testifying under oath. If the
witness lied, he will have to account for his lies to God," Judge
Suhartoyo said.

The defendant is charged with violating Article 78 of Law No.
5/1997 on psychotropic substances, which carries a maximum
punishment of 12-years imprisonment.

The trial will resume on Oct. 10.(41)