The Arrest of 17 Celebrities

They are all well known presenter, actor, actress, and singer in Indonesia.

As such, they own lots of money, wear expensive dress/shirt/pants, ride fancy cars, live in beautiful houses and have easy access to many important people and facilities.

Ordinary citizens like me and most of the 240 million people in Indonesia would envy them and ask :  " What more would you ask for? "

That's the question I asked my self when 17 famous people including presenter Raffi Ahmad, member of Jakarta Parliament Wanda Hamidah, Actor Irwansyah, Actress Zaskia Sungkar and 13 others, were arrested by the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) last Sunday around 5 a.m, for possession of 14 Ecstasy pills and 2 Marijuana joints (please read here).

BNN Director Benny Mamamoto was quoted by The Jakarta Globe as saying that his detectives arrested all 17 of them at Raffi's house in Lebak Bulus, South Jakarta. This arrest was done after three months of investigation.

BNN is still waiting for the overall results of tests on Urine and Hair of all 17 which started last Sunday. But a source at the agency said that initial result of the urine test shows negative, and nor still waiting for hair test (for details please read here).

I hope that the BNN would conduct a thorough investigation on this case not merely on the 17 of them but also the suppliers of Ecstasy pills and Marijuana.

Are We Serious in Fighting Illegal Drugs ?

I always think that the circulation of Illegal Drugs in Indonesia has reached a very dangerous level, that our country has been dubbed by some news media as a haven for illegal drugs.

Those who have members of families and/or friends who are Drug Addicts/Junkies would know for sure that they would would do anything to satisfy their needs for illegal drugs, including lie, steal or even kill.

For that reason I always hope that the Courts of Justice in Indonesia would pass heavy punishments to anyone involved in the trade of illegal drugs as stipulated  by the Anti Narcotics Law No 22/1997 Article 80 i.e maximum Death Sentence, and the Anti Psychoactive Drugs Law No. 5/1997 Article 60 i.e maximum sentence of up to 15 years in prison. Please read here for details.

Unfortunately, the facts show that the above laws have not been implemented properly. Those who were involved in Illegal Drug trades have been punished lighter than they supposed to be.

For example, last Friday President Susilo Yudoyono (SBY) granted Clemency to an Indonesian drug trafficker that has been sentenced to death by the District Court of Tangerang, Banten, the High Court and the Supreme Court. And last May, President SBY trimmed five years off Australian drug convict Schapelle Corby's 2 years prison sentence. Please read here for details.

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court revoked the punishment of an Illegal Drug Lord i.e. Hengky Gunawan, from Death Sentence into a 15 years Prison Sentence. Please read here for details.

The saddest thing is that the above lightening of punishments were done based on the reason to upheld human rights of those Drug Traders/Dealers. I wonder whether the human rights of the Drug Addicts/Junkies and their families and friends have been forgotten.

Schapelle Corby: Prison Sentence Reduction

Schapelle Leigh Corby (born 10 July 1977) is an Australian woman serving a 20 years sentence in Kerobokan Jail, the Island of Bali, for Smuggling 4.2 Kilogram Marijuana into the island on 8 October 2008 (click here for details)

At the time of her arrest, Corby said that the drugs were planted in her body board bag and that she didn't know about them. Her trial was a major focus of attention for the Australian media.

The District Court of Denpasar, Bali, found her guilty on 27 May 2005 and sentenced her to twenty years in Jail and Fined her Rp 100 Million with an additional six months in Jail if unpaid.

On October 2005, the Bali High Court reduced the Sentence to 15 years, but the Supreme Court overturned the 5 years sentence reduction and re-instated the 20-years Prison term on 19 January 2006.

On August 2006, Corby and her lawyers requested for an extraordinary appeal with the Supreme Court but was rejected on March 2008.

In 2010, Corby and her lawyers made a Clemency Appeal for full remission on Humanitarian grounds to President SBY, and on May 2012 she was granted a five-year reduction of the sentence.

The granting of Sentence Reduction to a Illegal Drugs Smuggler like Schapelle Corby was strongly protested by the public (click here) because it shows the government's failure to implement its own policy to stop giving remission to Illegal Drug dealers.

Besides, it shows that the government is not serious in eradicating  Illegal Drugs problems in Indonesia, and that it is weak in facing pressures from Australian government.


Photo: Courtesy of 3 News

Remission for Corruption, Illegal Drug and Terror Criminals

In connection with the Eid Ul-Fitr celebration, the government has been very kind to Criminals who were sentenced to jail by the Courts of Law for their involvement in Corruption, Illegal Drugs and Terrorism.

Tribune News reported that the government has granted Remission (Jail Sentence Discount) to 235 Corruption Criminals (8 released), 6,793 Illegal Drug Criminals (65 released) and 36 Terror Criminals.

This is the second time in one month that the government granted Remission to Corruption Criminals after it granted to many other Corruption Criminals during Independence Day on 17 August 2011.

The granting of Remission has been criticized by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). Rakyat Merdeka quoted Johan Budi of KPK as saying that grating of Remission to Corruption Criminals should be restricted considering that Corruption is an extraordinary crime therefore should not be treated ordinarily.

I hope that in the future the government would not grant anymore Remission to Corruption, Illegal Drug and Terror Criminals, so that they would really learn to obey the laws.

How did Nazaruddin get to Colombia?

Former General Treasurer of the ruling Democrat Party i.e. M. Nazaruddin (here), wanted by the Police and the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), was arrested by the Police on Sunday in Cartagena, Colombia.

Republika quoted the Coordinating Minister for Politics, Law and Security Djoko Suyanto as saying that he received the news from the Indonesian Ambassador to Colombia i.e. Michael Manufandu who said that Nazaruddin was holding a passport under the name of M. Syahruddin.when he was arrested.

And in order to make sure that the man is Nazaruddin, members of the Police and the KPK shall be send to Colombia immediately..

President SBY, Chairman of the Democrat Party Consultative Council, was happy when he told reporters (here) about the arrest of Nazaruddin earlier this evening. He said that he wants Nazruddin protected and allowed to say anything he wants to say.

I am very happy that our law enforcement agencies have successfully coordinated with the Interpol and the Colombian Police for the arrest of Nazaruddin.

However, considering that our government has canceled Nazaruddin's passport more than one month ago while he was assumed to be staying in Singapore or Cambodia, how did he get the false passport under the name of M. Syahruddin ?

Who helped him get the said false passport and arranged the travel to Columbia ?
Why did he choose Colombia which is known to be a haven for illegal drug dealers ?
Is Nazaruddin connected to international drug dealer syndicate ?

These questions became relevant if we think of the fact that Nazaruddin  (33) was very rich when he was the General Treasurer of the Democrat Party that he contributed Billions of Rupiah of money for the party.  
I hope that the Police and the KPK would investigate about this matter thoroughly so that my questions would be answered.

Singer Arrested, Politician Released

The Jakarta Police has named Sammy (27), Singer in one of Indonesia's leading Pop Band Kerispatih, a Suspect in a Drug Case last Wednesday, after arresting him at his boarding house the night before.

However, Regina Andriani (27), the lady who was with Sammy that night, was released because the Police cannot prove that she also used drugs.

Lately, the media found out that Regina is the Vice Secretary of the Democrat Party (President SBY's party) in Bogor, West Java.

For detailed media reports, please click here and here.

I hope that this case will be investigated thoroughly, and those who were proven wrong shall be prosecuted based on the Anti-Narcotics Law, free from any political intervention.

Photo: Courtesy of The Jakarta Post

HIV/AIDS Red Alert in West Java

West Java is one of the two Provinces (beside Banten) which have land boundaries with Jakarta, and is famous among others for its beautiful landscape and women.

Many of its big towns are located not far from Jakarta, for example Bogor (60Km) and Bandung (180 Km), and Puncak mountain resort (90 Km) therefore many citizens of Jakarta usually go there during weekends & holidays. This brought positive effect i.e. financial income and negative effects e.g HIV/AIDS to the Province.

The Jakarta Post reported that the Province’s Governor Ahmad Heryawan has just declared HIV/AIDS State of Emergency in the province. The reason is because according to the Province’s HIV/AIDS Commission (KPAD) as of March 2009 there were 2,682 AIDS cases & 1,838 HIV cases. 85 percent, or 3,838 people, living with HIV/AIDS were between the age of 15 and 49 years, meaning that the epidemic would further strain economic and social ties among the community. What is shocking is that the report also mentioned that the number of Housewives living with HIV/AIDS i.e 285, are higher than that of Prostitutes i.e 259. The decease was transmitted from one person to another through Unsafe Sex (without Condoms) and exchange of Needles for injecting Drugs.
Emergency Status was supported by the Chairperson of the National AIDS Commission Nafsiah Mboi.

Further, The Jakarta Globe quoted the head of KPAD Alma Lucyanti as saying that West Java only held the record as the province with the highest number of HIV/AIDS cases because it has the proper public awareness and early detection system to diagnose the cases. Due to which fact, KPAD will pay more attention in providing information about Safe Sex to housewives.

The HIV/AIDS State of Emergency declaration in West Java would make citizens of the province and Jakarta more aware about the decease, avoid sexual intercourse with more than one partner, and/or avoid exchange of needles for injecting Drugs.

Drugs Dealing Prosecutors

Illegal Drugs business seems to be very attractive for some people, including few law enforcement officers, that they would be tempted to take part in the business.

That's what I though when I read an article in today's Kompas Newspaper Page 25 regarding Irvan, a Police officer in North Jakarta who was caught by the Police for selling 343 Ecstasy pills at a nightclub in North Jakarta.
What shocked me is that during the investigation, Irvan confessed that he got those drugs from two lady Prosecutors i.e. Ester Tanak and Dara Veranita, who were handling Drugs case at the District Court of North Jakarta in which M. Yusuf was the Defendant. Those drugs are part of the 5,000 Ecstasy pills confiscated by the Police during a raid at an apartment in Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta.

And what shocked me even more is that the Police can only process the case of Irvan, but has to release the two prosecutors at 2 pm today because the Attorney General Office (AGO) has not given the Police a permit to detain them. But the AGO’s Public Relation officer i.e. Jasman Simajuntak denied this allegation. He said that his office would issue the permit if the Police made a written request, in stead of a verbal request, for said detention as stipulated by the Prosecution Law No. 16 Year 2004 Art. 8 Par.5.

In reaction to the above, head of anti drugs organization GRANAT Henry Yosodiningrat stated that the release of those two lady Prosecutors would create public assumption that the AGO is protecting their "nasty" Prosecutors.

Now that the real reason for obtaining the AGO's permit have been known, I hope that the Police would issue the written request and send it to the AGO, so that the two prosecutors can remain in detention. Therefore, this illegal Drugs case can be prosessed ASAP and those involved could be punnished accordingly.

Apologize to Improve Image

When I was a young boy, I usually apologize to my mother whenever she caught me doing something wrong, afterwards she would not be so angry.

That’s what I thought few days ago after I read Rick Kelly's post in Bernstein Crisis Management’s newsletter about two international sport figures who have recently been reprimanded by their organizations for their bad habits.

The first one was Baseball star Alex Rodriguez (33) who has been reported by Selena Roberts & David Eipstein of Sports Illustrated on 7 February as tested positive for taking performance enhancing drugs in 2003. This has shocked his fans and drew public critism. In order to improve his image, on 9 February he gave an interview with Peter Gammons of ESPN, admitting that he has taken "a banned substance" and he is "very sorry and deeply regretful." After that he announced that he will join a foundation which fights the use of Steroids.

The second one was Olympic Swimming Champion Michael Phelp(23) who has been reported and displayed by News of the World on 2 January smoking from a Bong (glass pipe for smoking drugs). Frightened by the grave consequences that the news might bring on his swimming career, few days later he released a written statement to Associated Press saying that he was sorry and promised his fans and the public that it will never happen again. Further, he has accepted the U.S Swimming Committee's decision to suspend him for 3 months. Further more, he didn't protest when Kellog dropped its sponsorship of him.

In conclusion I felt that sports celebrities have been playing games with the hearts of their fans and the public, by simply apologizing for mistakes which are against public moral standard, i.e. consumption of illegal drugs.