Rp 200m sought for drug possession

JAKARTA (JP): A prosecutor demanded the Central Jakarta District Court on Monday sentence defendant Rusli Patinah to seven years in jail and a fine of 200 million (US$28,570) for possession of ecstasy tablets.

"The defendant was guilty of violating article 59 of the Law on Psychotropic Substances," said prosecutor Osmena Noor, in a hearing presided over by Judge I Gde Sumitra.

The article carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of Rp 750 million.

Osmena said the 32-year-old entrepreneur was arrested on July 5 by city police detectives at Apartment Quality on Jl. Juanda in Central Jakarta.

"The city police seized 22 ecstasy tablets of various types in room 1005 on the apartment's 10th floor," he said.

The ecstasy pills, some of which were branded with a spiral or a nut, were kept in a refrigerator in the room.

The prosecutor said the defendant also kept another 1,000 ecstasy tablets in a motorcycle helmet.

The motorcycle was parked in the apartment's basement, he said.

Judge Sumitra adjourned the hearing until Friday to hear the defendant's defense. (asa)