S. African faces 15 years in the pen

Prosecutors are demanding that Nkosi Augustine, alias Austin, a South African citizen, be sentenced to 15 years in jail and fined Rp 5 million (US$550) for drug possession.

Prosecutor Mamat Ruchimat told a hearing at the West Jakarta District Court on Thursday that the sentence was appropriate as witness testimonies and evidence showed that the defendant violated Article 82 of Law No. 22/1997 on narcotics, for illegal possession and drug trafficking of a Type I drug.

Furthermore, the defendant's alleged crime has the potential to destroy the future of the nation's youth, and was in direct violation of the government's attempt to eliminate drug abuse in the country.

Prosecutors said that Austin, 23, was arrested on April 26 by Petamburan Police in a hotel in Central Jakarta. Police officers found 75.62 grams of heroin wrapped in a sock inside the underwear he was wearing.

Austin denied that the drug was his, but belonged to Oliver, a fellow expatriate who had promised Austin Rp 200,000 to deliver the drug to a buyer at the hotel.

Austin, who claims he is a football player, said that he took up Oliver's offer because he had run out of money, after failing to find a football club willing to hire him.

Court translators had to repeatedly explain the prosecutor's demands, when Austin, who does not speak Indonesian and was not accompanied by a lawyer, said that he did not understand.

Presiding judge Purnomo Rijadi gave the defendant one week to prepare and deliver his defense plea, in which Austin replied that he would write it himself in English.

The trial will continue on Nov. 4 to hear the defense's plea. -- JP