National

Leslie: Now, I Can Go Home
Saturday, 19 November, 2005 | 12:15 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:Michelle Leslie, 24, convicted in the possession of ecstasy pills, was sentenced to three months in prison by Denpasar District Court on Friday (18/11). The sentence for Leslie was according to the charges made by the public prosecutor.

District Court judges, led by I Made Sudia, considered Leslie guilty for having used psychotropic drugs that did not come from authorized institutions. “She accepted and used ecstasy pills that were obtained from outside of hospitals, medical doctors and health clinics,” Sudia stated.

In the trial, Leslie said she received the drugs from someone named Mia. Mia is now declared a fugitive by the police. Leslie also was accused of having violated Article 60 sub section 5 Law No.5/1997 on psychotropics. The violation of this Article carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison.

Leslie stated her relief over this sentence. “Now, I can go home,” said Leslie. She has been detained since August 21, 2005.

With this three-month sentence, Leslie will leave Krobokan prison on Monday, November 21. Leslie said that she was able to accept the decision of the judges.

Her lawyer, Cristo Emanul Dugis, also stated that he could accept this sentence. Basically, they have succeeded in proving that Leslie was not the owner of the ecstasy pills.

Meanwhile, the prosecutor Risman Torihoran also said that he could accept the sentence and would not file an appeal because this decision was according to their demands.

Leslie was arrested by Bali Police on August 20, right before she was slated to attend a party in the Garuda Wisnu Kencana region. The police found two ecstasy pills in her bag. However, witnesses said that the pills belonged to Mia rather than Leslie and that Mia gave the pills to Leslie. (Rofiqi Hasan-Tempo News Room)