SON OF FORMER ARMY CHIEF JAILED FOR DRUG POSSESSION

JAKARTA (IO) -- Second Lieutenant Agus Isrok, son of former Army Chief
Gen. (ret) Subagyo Hadisiswoyo, was yesterday sentenced by a military
tribunal to four years in prison for the possession of drugs.

The Jakarta Military Court, presided over by Col. Sarman Mulyana, also
dismissed Agus from military service and fined him Rp10 million.

Agus, 24, was an officer in the army's elite Kopassus corps. He is the
eldest son of Gen. Subagyo Hadisiswoyo, a military adviser to
President Abdurrahman Wahid.

Both the sentence and fine were higher than that sought by
prosecutors.

Mulyana said the defendant had tarnished the image of his family as
well as that of the Indonesian military.

"It is to teach you ... that you are not suitable to be a member of
the army," Mulyana said.

Agus and a civilian friend, Donny Hendrawan, were arrested on August 8
at the Travel Hotel in Mangga Besar, West Jakarta after being found
with 6,218 Ecstasy pills, 1.5 kg of amphetamines, 500 grams of heroin,
and a quantity of cannabis.

Hendrawan was sentenced last month to nine years and six months in
prison.

Subagyo previously said that he will support any legal measures that
may be taken against his son, saying no-one should be above the law in
Indonesia.

He also pledged not to intervene should his son brought before a
military tribunal.

Authorities have refused to try Agus in a civilian court, claiming
that as a member of the Army's elite Special forces (Kopassus) he can
only be tried by a military tribunal.

President Abdurrahman Wahid's government has pledged war against drug
traffickers because the dramatic rise in the use of illegal substances
among young people has become a national concern.

Agus said he will appeal.