Rano Karno’s son to face trial in drug case

TANGERANG: Raka Widyarma, the adopted son of Banten Deputy Governor Rano Karno, and his friend Karina Andetia will soon stand a trial on drug charges at the Tangerang District Court as the police submitted the case dossiers to the prosecutor’s office on Monday.

Tangerang head prosecutor Jaja Subagja said that he had formed a team to present the case to the court within a week.

“It takes time to prepare a well-presented indictment,” Jaja said, adding that the prosecutors realized that the public would watch the trial closely.

Raka and Karina, currently detained at the Tangerang Youth Correctional House, have been charged under the 2009 Law on Narcotics. The law carries a maximum punishment of up to 20 years imprisonment and up to Rp 10 billion (US$1.05 million) fines if found guilty.

The pair were arrested after officers of the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport Police found a package of ecstasy pills sent from Malaysia through air cargo on March 4. The officers delivered the package to its intended recipient, a resident of the Bintaro house named Irwan Imam, as written on the package. Karina and Raka, who greeted the “couriers” at the Bintaro house, openly admitted that the package was on their order.