Prosecutor accused of selling evidence, illegal gun ownership

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

After gathering more evidence and questioning several witnesses, Jakarta Police said on Thursday that they would charge Hendra Ruhendra, a prosecutor at the Cibinong Prosecutor's Office, West Java, with drug dealing and illegal arms possession.

Jakarta Police narcotics unit chief Sr. Comr. Carlo Brix Tewu said that Hendra, who was arrested on Aug. 26 with 187 grams of shabu-shabu (crystal methamphetamine) and three guns, admitted he took the drugs from evidence presented at court trials.

"Several witnesses from the Cibinong Prosecutor's Office have confirmed it. Because we have proof that he sold the drugs, we will charge him with drug dealing," he said.

Hendra, 40, head of the general crimes section at Cibinong Prosecutor's Office in Bogor, West Java, is being detained at city police headquarters. He was arrested at his apartment at Taman Rasuna Apartments in South Jakarta after police were tipped off by Subur Supriandono, 29, who was arrested on Aug. 25 in Cilandak, South Jakarta, with 32 grams of shabu-shabu.

Subur told the police he bought the drugs from Hendra.

Laws No. 22/1997 on narcotics and No. 5/1997 on psychotropic substances carry the death penalty.

Carlo said that aside from charging Hendra with drug dealing, the police would also charge him with illegal arms possession as two of three guns found in his apartment were unlicensed.

"He said he got the two guns when he was posted in Kalimantan. We have confirmation from National Police Headquarters that the guns have not been registered," he said.

Carlo said the police would charge Hendra under Article 1 of Emergency Law No. 12/1951 on illegal arms possession, which stipulates life imprisonment as the maximum punishment.

Meanwhile, the Attorney General's Office announced it was preparing an official letter to suspend Hendra from his position pending investigation by the police.

"We are preparing the letter right now. We will suspend him so he can't interfere with the police investigation," Soehandojo, Attorney General's Office spokesman, told The Jakarta Post.

He said the chief of the West Java Prosecutor's Office and deputy attorney general on monitoring had discussed the case.

Soehandojo added that if both of them recommended that Hendra be fired as a prosecutor the attorney general would do so.

"We will not tolerant prosecutors who disgrace our profession," he said.