Waiter tried for keeping Ecstasy

JAKARTA (JP): A prosecutor asked West Jakarta District Court yesterday to sentence a discotheque waiter to four years in prison and fine him Rp 150 million (US$19,700) for possessing 12 Ecstasy pills.

Prosecutor Petrus Sambara said the defendant, identified as Husen Sajili, 24, was arrested on Aug. 16, last year at Emeral Discotheque on Jl. Hayam Wuruk.

"The defendant was asked to sell the pills by a man named Rachmadsyah," Petrus said.

He said Rachmadsyah promised to give the defendant Rp 10,000 for each pill he sold.

Husen was arrested before selling a single pill, Petrus said. Rachmadsyah is still at large.

Husen told the court that he went to Rachmadsyah to borrow money for his son's medical treatment.

As Rachmadsyah did not have any money, he gave the 12 pills to the defendant to sell for Rp 40,000 each.

Petrus said Husen was charged under Article 59 (1) of Law No. 5/1997 on psychotropic drugs.

Presiding judge Muhammad Arif adjourned the trial to next week to decide the sentence. (jun)