Model tried for using drug

JAKARTA (JP): A female model was indicted at the Central Jakarta District Court on Friday for consuming and possessing 0.4 grams of shabu-shabu, a amphetamine derivative.

Prosecutor Suleman Hadjarati said the 20-year-old defendant, Fairus Salim, was arrested in a room of Puri Mega Hotel in Central Jakarta on March 3.

"Police officers found the shabu-shabu in her cellular phone cover when she was being searched," Suleman said.

The officers, who raided the hotel at about 2:30 p.m., also found a syringe used to inject the drug, he said.

During the interrogation, the defendant admitted to buying the drug from a woman named Tia at Menteng Hotel in Central Jakarta for Rp 100,000 (US$12.50).

Suleman charged the junior high school graduate under Article 62 of Law No. 5/1977 on psychotropic drugs, which carries a maximum punishment of three years in jail and a maximum fine of Rp 60 million.

The defendant, a resident of Jl. Cilunguk, Duren Sawit, East Jakarta, told the court that she was arrested with 15 friends in the room.

"I just consumed the shabu-shabu. It belonged to my friends," Fairus said without any apparent guilt or remorse.

The defendant, who was accompanied by her parents during the trial, did not know why her friends were released after being questioned.

The defendant is being detained at Pondok Bambu Penitentiary.

Presiding judge Rusdi As'ad asked her parents to keep an eye on their daughter in the future, telling them to keep Fairus away from bad influences.

Rusdi adjourned the trial until next week to hear testimonies from witnesses.

While being ferried back to the penitentiary in a detainee car, Fairus was busy with her mobile phone. (jun)