Jakarta (The Jakarta Post/ANN) - Putri Aryanti Haryowibowo, a defendant in a drug trial, has admitted that she had used drugs before she was arrested by police in a raid at a plush hotel in South Jakarta.
Putri, the great-granddaughter of former president Soeharto, confirmed several statements given by witnesses in the trial at the South Jakarta district court.
"My only rejection of the statements was that I owned the bong and the drugs," Putri said at the hearing.
Earlier in the trial, the prosecutors presented a Jakarta Police narcotics division officer, First Brig. Bambang Dwi Susilo, as a witness. He said that Putri had tested positive in a drug test administered three hours after she and the other suspects in the case were arrested for illegal drug possession on March 18.
Bambang said that, following a tip-off, 10 members of the narcotics division went to the hotel pretending to be customers trying to buy drugs.
The officers knocked on one of the hotel rooms and saw Edie Setiono, an officer from the National Police, open the door for them.
Bambang said he was oblivious to the fact that Putri was in the room.
They later saw Putri and other suspects in the case sitting around a table on which crystal methamphetamine, a bong, aluminium foil and matches sat.
Bambang said the officers then asked Putri if the drugs and the bong were hers. "She [Putri] said she had no idea who owned the evidence," Bambang said.
A drug test was then conducted on the suspects and all tested positive.
Putri's lawyer, Sandy Arifin, insisted that his client had not used the drug when she was arrested.
"If the test results were positive, Putri could have consumed the drugs two or three days before the arrest," he said.
Sandy said that he would still ask for the judges in the trial to allow his client be sent to a rehabilitation center.
In a trial last week, prosecutors sought a 15-year prison sentence for Putri on charges of possessing illegal drugs.
Prosecutors said evidence showed that the defendant was in possession of an illegal substance when arrested, violating Article 112 of the 2009 Narcotics Law, which carries a maximum prison term of 15 years.
Putri is the daughter of Ari Haryo Wibowo Hardjojudanto, more popularly known as businessman Ari Sigit, the grandson of Soeharto.
Other than arresting Putri and the police officer, the police also arrested a man suspected of supplying the group with the illegal drugs.
Another trial was ongoing last week of a suspect named Edie, for whom prosecutors are seeking a 12-year prison term.
There are no comments yet