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)