T

he National Narcotics Agency (BNN) has arrested newly installed Ogan Ilir Regent Ahmad Wazir Nofiadi, for alleged possession of crystal methamphetamine, at his private house in Karanganyar, Ogan Ilir, South Sumatra.

BNN chief Comr. Gen. Budi Waseso said Monday that the agency had been working on the case for three months after hearing public reports about Ahmad'€™s crystal meth consumption.

'€œBut as we didn'€™t have any strong evidence and the regional election process was still ongoing, we chose to keep monitoring the situation,'€ he told a press conference at the BNN headquarters in East Jakarta on Monday.

The 27-year-old suspect, who was only inaugurated as regent last month, was also present at the press conference, during which he looked calm and smiled occasionally, but did not speak.

Ahmad, an Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician, secured victory in the December election that led him to succeed his own father Mawardi Yahya, a Golkar Party politician.

Deputy regent Ilyas Panji Alam, several regional councillors and local administration staff members were also at the BNN office to undergo drug tests, after they were arrested along with Ahmad at his residence.

Ilyas and the councillors were later freed as they tested negative for drugs.

According to the BNN, during Sunday'€™s raid some staff members managed to take drugs and other evidence away so that the BNN could not confiscate anything.

Nevertheless, three more users in the house were also arrested. The drug trafficker was arrested earlier the same day.

The dealer, ICN alias FA alias ICL, 38, is a civil servant at a mental hospital in Palembang, South Sumatra. He confessed to being Ahmad'€™s sole supplier for a certain period of time.

The remaining three suspects are MU, 29, Ahmad'€™s accomplice; DA, 31, a civil servant; and JU, 38, Ahmad'€™s house security officer.

'€œIt is reported that Ahmad'€™s been using the drugs for more than three months. He underwent a urine test yesterday and a hair and blood test today that will give us more accurate results in three days,'€ said Budi.

Before the regional election on Dec. 9 last year, Ahmad underwent a medical checkup to secure his eligibility for the candidacy.

The BNN said that if it was proven that he had been using drugs before the checkup, the agency would investigate the medical team that carried out the pre-election test.

BNN is charging the regent with Article 112 of the Narcotics Law on drug possession. The heaviest sentence he could get is 12 years in prison and an Rp 8 billion fine.

Home Minister Tjahjo Kumolo said he regretted the misdeeds of the regional head who he said ought to have set an example for the public and recommended that he be removed from his position.

'€œIt'€™s saddening and disappointing. As a regional leader, he ought to set an example for the public, but what we see now is the reverse,'€ he told The Jakarta Post via text message.

'€œI suggest that he be directly removed from the regent position as we'€™re now waiting for the legal process to begin,'€ he went on.

'€œIf the pre-election medical checkup result came up as negative, the hospital or doctors should be investigated,'€ he closed.

General Elections Commission (KPU) commissioner Sigit Pamungkas said that, in terms of physical health, the institution gave a candidate the green light to contest an election based on a medical checkup at a state hospital.