Teacher tried for smoking marijuana

JAKARTA (JP): A female gymnastics teacher was indicted Friday at Central Jakarta District Court for smoking and possessing a small amount of dried marijuana.

Prosecutor DP. Siahaan said Wanda, 41, was arrested in a taxi on Jl. Eks Bandara Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, on Sept. 25.

Siahaan said police officers stopped the taxi at about 10:30 p.m. and asked Wanda, a resident of Jl. Pademangan Timur, North Jakarta, and her boyfriend, Sahlani, to get out of the taxi.

He said the officers found 0.2 grams of marijuana in a cigarette box belonging to the defendant.

She was charged under Article 23 (3), which carries a maximum punishment of six years in jail and a fine of Rp 10 million (US$2,000) fine.

Wanda admitted to having smoked the marijuana once in a discotheque and said she had a headache before the arrest.

She promised the court that she would not use marijuana again.

"You are a gym teacher who knows physical health, but you don't have spiritual health," presiding judge Asmar Ismail said.

Asmar adjourned the trial until Dec. 29, when he will hear the prosecutor's submission. (jun)