Prosecutors are still studying Ria's case

JAKARTA (JP): The city prosecutor's office is still studying the case of Ria Irawan, a starlet who has been connected to the death of a young businessman in her house last January.

Attorney General Singgih told newsmen over the weekend that if the prosecutor's office failed to find enough evidence to arraign actress Ria Irawan in court it would drop the case.

"However," Singgih said, "if the prosecutor's office finds enough substantial elements against the 24-year-old artist, it will send her case to the South Jakarta district court."

Ria received Rifaldi Sukarnoputra, a former boy-friend of hers who was a businessman, at her house in Lebak Bulus, South Jakarta, on the night of Jan. 12th.

However, the next morning, the married man who spent the night there was found dead of drug overdose.

South Jakarta police had earlier questioned the starlet for her failure to report the possession and use of illegal drug by the deceased to their office.

Ria was also alleged to have disposed of vital material evidence that could have given clues to the death.

Ria, who recently performed a haj pilgrimage in Mecca, could face a one-year jail term or a maximum fine of Rp 1 million (US$461) for the first charge and a maximum prison term of four years for the second.

A source at the South Jakarta prosecutor's office, which is now handling the case, told The Jakarta Post recently that the evidence cited in the police dossiers tying Ria to the crime was very weak.

"Moreover it was unusual to charge someone for disposing material evidence," the source, who wanted to remain anonymous, said.

"Worse of all," another source told the Post "in this case, the police had failed to find the evidence." (tis)