Three Africans on trial for drugs

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

After having sentenced to death a Dutch national who operated two ecstasy factories here, the Tangerang District Court tried on Wednesday three Africans charged with drug trafficking and illegal possession of 5.6 kilograms of heroin.

The court tried Kholisani Nkomo, 33, a Zimbabwean, Nigerian Michael Titus Igweh, 24, and another Nigerian man, Hillary K. Chimezia, 27, separately.

They were arrested in August at their homes in Vila Melati Mas Regency, Bumi Serpong Damai housing estate and Kelapa Gading Tower apartment complex respectively.

Before the trial, the panel of judges presided over by Judge Permadi were confused, since Nkomo denied his identity and told the court that his name was Ichuku Eberu Okolwaja instead, and that his nationality was Nigerian. As the defendant had no identity card to prove that he was not Nkomo, the presiding judge decided to proceed with the trial.

Prosecutor R. Vidianto charged the defendants with violating Article 82 of Law No. 22/1997 on narcotics, which carries a maximum penalty of death, and Article 55 of the Criminal Code on organized crime.

The 5.6 kilograms of heroin was found in the homes of Nkomo and Igweh. They claimed that they had obtained the drug from Hillary.

The three Africans were arrested after the police nabbed Nkomo's girlfriend Marlena, 24, an Indonesian national, on Aug. 17 following a raid on her house, when the police found 50 grams of heroin in her bag.

Marlena, however, died on Dec. 17 at Kramat Jati Police Hospital, East Jakarta. The police said she suffered from lung disease.

The Tangerang District Court has so far sentenced 20 drug `dealers to death, and one to life in prison since January 2000.