Zarina's accomplice charged

Zarina's accomplice charged

JAKARTA (JP): A prosecutor indicted defendant Ahian Santoso
alias Yeye with double charges on Wednesday for allegedly
possessing and carrying psychotropic substances and for failure
to report an illegal drugs possession to the police.

"The defendant has violated article 62 of the 1997 Law on
Psychotropic Substances for possessing the drug," said prosecutor
Hasan Madani in a hearing at the West Jakarta District Court.

The article carries a maximum sentence of five years in jail
and a maximum fine of Rp 100 million (US$14,285).

The prosecutor said in the hearing, presided over by judge Sri
Handojo, that the city police arrested the defendant along with
former badminton player Zarina Mirafsur in room 1512 of a hotel
apartment in West Jakarta on Nov. 11, 1999.

"From both Ahian and Zarina, the city police detectives seized
0.3 grams of shabu-shabu (crystal methamphetamine), tin foil and
the paraphernalia used to smoke drugs," he said.

He said the police also seized four "Happy Five" tranquilizers
from Ahian's wallet.

Earlier on Monday, a panel of judges in a separate case
dropped the charges against Zarina after they found that the
indictment prepared by the same prosecutor was incomplete.

Prosecutor Hasan also charged Ahian for his failure to report
to the police although he knew that Zarina and her three friends
were using shabu-shabu at a house located in the Duren Sawit area
of East Jakarta, in October 1999.

"The defendant did not report the alleged wrongdoing to the
nearby police," Hasan said while reading the indictment.

The prosecutor said the defendant violated article 65 of the
1997 Law on Psychotropic Substances, which carries a maximum
sentence of one year in jail and a maximum fine of Rp 20 million.

Judge Sri Handojo adjourned the hearing until next week to
hear responses from the defendant's lawyers. (asa)