Prosecutor wants 18 months for Ecstasy trafficker

JAKARTA (JP): A state prosecutor urged a court yesterday to sentence a 56-year-old West Jakarta resident to 18 months imprisonment for trafficking Ecstasy pills.

This is the first sentencing demand made in a Jakarta court against anyone for possession of or dealing in Ecstasy, following the intensification of the authorities' campaign against those distributing the pills that have become popular among the city's younger generation.

Prosecutor Esther Datu Rante told the West Jakarta District Court that the trial has proven convincingly that the defendant, NWH, alias Awi, violated Article 81 of the 1992 Health Law.

Given that Ecstasy is not classified as a narcotic and therefore not covered under the 1976 Narcotics Law, the government has been forced to resort to using the weaker 1992 Health Law.

Article 81 of the Health Law, pertaining to the distribution of unregistered drugs, carries a maximum penalty of seven years imprisonment and a Rp 140 million fine.

Awi was arrested by the police in December at the Zodiac Discotheque in Glodok Plaza, West Jakarta, shortly after he allegedly sold several pills to KJH, alias Ahok, who is being tried separately.

Prosecutor Esther said Ahok testified in Awi's trial that he bought the pills for Rp 50,000 (US$22) each.

Awi declined legal representation and pleaded guilty to the charges.

He also told the court that he bought the pills from a man named Henky, who is still at large.

Esther referred to the laboratory results from the Directorate General for Drug and Food Control, which categorize Ecstasy as a drug whose distribution must be authorized by the Ministry of Health.

Presiding Judge Enny Sinaga is scheduled to read the verdict on Sept. 19.

The outcome of the trial is likely to set a precedent for other Ecstasy cases that are currently being heard in many courts in Jakarta and in other big cities.

Another Ecstasy trial continued at the Central Jakarta District Court yesterday in which a Dutch business consultant, LHK, is being accused of producing and trafficking more than 5,000 Ecstasy pills.

The trial heard the testimony of Alex Agustine, an expert from the drug and food control office of the Ministry of Health, who said that the use of components commonly found in Ecstasy are controlled by the Ministry of Health.

LHK's lawyers, Nazori Do'ak Achmad and Erick S. Paat, objected to Alex's testimony, saying that as a pharmacist, he was not in a position to give legal opinions regarding Ecstasy.

Presiding Judge Nurhayati overruled the objection.

"Laboratory tests have shown that these Ecstasy pills contain several substances, and these substances should not be questioned one by one if they are legal or not, because the pills could also contain vitamins," Nurhayati said.

LHK has denied the charges and said that the thousands of Ecstasy pills found in his car and office belonged to a friend.

The trial was adjourned until Sep. 23. (26)