'Putaw' user faces 10 months in jail

JAKARTA (JP): A prosecutor asked the West Jakarta District Court yesterday to sentence a private university student to 10 months in jail for consuming putaw, a low-grade heroin.

Prosecutor Agus Widodo said Andi Wuryanto, in his 20s, was arrested in his rented room in the Kota area, West Jakarta in July.

Agus said police seized from the defendant a few grams of putaw and an aluminum foil believed to have been used as a tool to inhale the heroin.

Andi promised the court that he would not consume heroin again.

"Please do not punish me. My parents are already old," the defendant said, bursting into tears.

"Of course all parents are old. You are young," replied presiding judge Yulid Muin.

Andi told the judge that his body was not trembling anymore, meaning that he was not addicted to the heroin.

"Good, you have to stay away from the heroin. You do not love your parents who earn money for your study," the judge said.

Muin adjourned the trial until next week to decide the sentence since the other judges on the panel are still on holiday. (jun)