Sutiyoso fires new salvo in war on drugs

JAKARTA (JP): In the daunting campaign for a drug-free Jakarta, Governor Sutiyoso introduced a new plan on Thursday for meting out heavy punishment to drug dealers in the capital.

He said he would soon meet heads of the Jakarta Prosecutor's Office and the Jakarta High Court to discuss measures for imposing severe sentences on people convicted of drug offenses.

"I will ask the head of the Jakarta Prosecutor's Office to order his subordinates to indict alleged drug dealers on charges carrying heavy sentences," he said.

"At the same time, I will ask the head of the Jakarta High Court to hand down severe sentences to convicted drug offenders."

Sutiyoso has railed against light sentences for drug dealers as one of the contributors to the rise in drug use in the city.

He suggested earlier in the week that the country follow the lead of its neighbors Malaysia and Singapore in imposing the death penalty.

Sutiyoso also called on the public to monitor the charges brought by prosecutors and the verdicts issued by the judges.

"Light sentences for drug dealers have been caused by the people's failure to monitor the prosecutions of drug cases," he said.

Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri urged the public's active involvement in monitoring the trials of defendants accused of drug offenses when Sutiyoso and several antidrug activists visited her home in Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta, on Tuesday.

The governor said he would designate community posts -- mostly set up by activists of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) -- across the city as locations for disseminating information about the antidrug campaign.

"The city administration will allocate some funds if they need money for the operational expenditures of the communication posts." He did not disclose an amount.

City Council Speaker Edy Waluyo supported Sutiyoso's plan to meet with the chiefs of the Jakarta Prosecutor's Office and the Jakarta High Court.

"We support the governor's plan. The Council will also hold meetings with the city's legal officials," Edy said on Thursday.

He said heavy sentences should be imposed on convicted dealers as a deterrent against drug trafficking in the city.

He also urged the public to join the battle against drug trafficking in their communities.

Several areas in the city, including Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, have become centers for drug trafficking which also reportedly involves foreigners.

The 1997 Narcotics Law carries the death penalty for convicted drug dealers but the maximum sentence has never been imposed.

Many speculate there is rampant collusion between prosecutors, judges and lawyers in ensuring that major drug suspects receive light sentences. Some contend that mafia bosses hire lawyers who can ensure lenient trials and verdicts.

Special treatment of drug convicts allegedly continues in many prisons. Several convicted drug prisoners reportedly escaped from Salemba Penitentiary in Central Jakarta earlier this year. (jun)