MP, cop raided in drug party

Suherdjoko ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Semarang   |  Mon, 06/22/2009 12:42 PM  |  The Archipelago

A member of the Central Java legislative council and a policeman have been detained for alleged participation in a drug and sex party.

Central Java Police chief Insp. Gen. Alex Bambang Riatmodjo announced Saturday the arrest of councilor M. Riza Kurniawan, 38, from the National Mandate Party (PAN) and Brig. Yudhik Noviantoro, 31, from the provincial police's health division.

The two were arrested at Permata Hijau Hotel in Semarang at around 21:30 on Thursday, Alex, accompanied by Semarang Police chief Sr. Comr. Edward Syah Pernong, told a press conference.

Alex said the councilor and the policeman were rounded up in a raid on the hotel for allegedly using crystal methamphetamine (shabu-shabu). The two suspects may have been engaging in a sex party, as the raid also netted two women in the same hotel room, he added.

The police said they confiscated around 0.346 grams of shabu-shabu, drug pipes, matches and two blue Viagra pills during the antidrug operation.

Riza had been jailed for two months for a similar drug abuse case in 2004, when he was elected to the legislature for the 2004-2009 period. Now he is the secretary of the council's Commission D for development affairs. Representing the electoral district of Pandean Lamper in Semarang, the detained councilor was re-elected for a second five-year term in the April 9 legislative election.

Alex acknowledged that the councilor and the policeman were among the targets of the police's drug raids in Central Java.

"They were arrested for using drugs. We took legal action according to the prevailing regulations," he said.

The provincial police chief said before being arrested, Riza and Yudhik had moved to the two rooms at the hotel on Thursday, allegedly to avoid being traced by the police, as previously, they had used three rooms at a cottage in the Gombel area of Semarang.

The police are investigating whether the councilor is a drug dealer and not simply a drug consumer, but so far, Riza has only been named a suspect for drug consumption.

Riza, however, denied using drugs when he was arrested. "The point is I will not sign my case file," he said when being taken to his cell at the Semarang police office.

Both the councilor and policeman in the drug and sex scandal could face a maximum penalty of five years in prison if found guilty.

Copyright © 2008 The Jakarta Post - PT Bina Media Tenggara. All Rights Reserved.