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"The world is nothing but a stage", Ahmad Albar would sing. But he was not acting when he admitted that he once consumed illegal drugs. One would think that with age would come wisdom. But this old fellow was arrested at his age of 60, proving that even an experienced player may find himself in the wrong side of the law.

Category : Drug Abuse

Case : Achmad Albar on Hiding Drug Fugitive and Ecstasy Possession

Indictment :

- Psychotropic Law No 5 of 1997 Article 62 on Illicit Drug Possession

- Criminal Code Article 221 on Hiding Fugitive

Year : 2007

Time Span : Arrested in September 26, 2007 and released on July 11, 2008

Verdict : Guilty as charged and sentenced to 8 months imprisonment

Here's The Case

On November 26, 2007, Ahmad Albar was arrested in his own house in Kedondong Street Block A No 220, Cinere, Depok. He was accused of hiding Jenny Chandra aka Cece, the drug fugitive of the earlier discovery of 490,000 ecstasy pills in Taman Anggrek apartment, West Jakarta. During the raid, the police also found an ecstasy pill in his bathroom and 0,3 gram heroin in his son's, Fahri Albar, room. Furthermore, the urine test also confirmed that Albar had consumed a psychotropic drug.

Albar was immediately held in custody since the raid and then he was moved to Paledang penitentiary on March 25, 2008 following the submission of his complete investigation files to Depok District Attorney. Corollary he was to face trial in Depok District Court; while his friend Cece was on different trial in West Jakarta District Court.

Albar's trials in Depok District Court was led by Zaenudin as the presiding judge and Budi Hartawan Panjaitan as the state prosecutor. The first trial was conducted on April 7, 2008, followed by a series of exhaustive trials on April 14, April 21, May 5, May 12, May 15, May 21, May 26, 2008. On June 5, 2008, Albar was prosecuted to 1 year confinement over the accusation of possessing illicit drug and hiding fugitive.

Responding to the accusations, Albar defiantly claimed that the ecstasy pill didn't belong to him and that he didn't know Cece was a fugitive as he merely helped her while she was looking for a rented house. He admitted that he once consumed shabu-shabu with Monash, Cece's husband, but insisted that now he had come clean.

He was represented by Togar M. Nero and Hery Subagyo as his lawyers. Another trial was held on June 12 and June 18, before the verdict reading at the end of June.

On June 25, 2008 Ahmad Albar was finally sentenced to 8 months in prison and IDR 6 Million in fine. The sentence was 4 months lighter than that prosecutor demanded. The incriminating factors were the facts that Albar, as a public figure, didn't set good example and didn't assist government program to combat drug abuse.

Albar's trials were often attended by his son, actor Fahri Albar, his step-sister, singer Camelia Malik, his so-called girlfriend Dewi Sri Astuti, some of his celebrities friends, and a group of Pemuda Pancasila.

How It Ends

Having being detained for 8 months since his arrest in late November 2007, Albar was finally released on July 11, 2008. The infotainment reporters were busy asking whether after his release, he would marry his suddenly disclosed girlfriend. He was 61 years old when the case happened to him. Pursuing his freedom, Albar continued his musical career and even received an award as legendary musician.

Ahmad Syech Albar, whose nickname is Iyek, was born in Surabaya on July 16, 1946. He was the lead vocal of Indonesian legendary rock band 'God Bless' and his trademark appearance is his big curly hair. Among his famous songs are “Panggung Sandiwara” (Drama Stage) and “Jangan Ada Angkara” (Let There Be No Wrath). He is the father of Fahri Albar, a rising young actor in Indonesian movie scene.