During The Trial, Nia Ramadhani Admitted To Using Methamphetamine Five Times From April To July 2021

Defendant of drug abuse who is also a public figure Nia Ramadhani (Photo: Sihol Hasugian/Antara)

JAKARTA - The defendant of drug abuse who is also a public figure, Nia Ramadhani, admitted that she had consumed crystal methamphetamine five times, thus denying the witness testimony from the Public Prosecutor who stated that it was the first time he had used methamphetamine.

"I actually want to respond not just once, I feel like I've never said that," said Nia Ramadhani in response to a question by Chief Justice Mohammad Damis at the Central Jakarta District Court, reported by Antara, Thursday, December 16.

Meanwhile, at the inaugural trial on Thursday, December 2, the Public Prosecutor presented Benni Santoso Pandiangan who served as a member of the South Jakarta Metro Police.

In testimony at the trial, Benni said that Nia admitted that this was the first time she had used the illicit substance.

"The response to the statement of witness Benni who said he only used it once?" asked Mohammad Damis.

"As far as I remember, I never said that, Your Honor," said Nia.

Nia added that she had consumed methamphetamine five times between April and July 2021.

"More than three times. I don't know for sure maybe four or five times," he said.

Nia Ramadhani, admitted that she had used methamphetamine since April 2021 because she had personal problems.

He explained that he initially consumed the banned substance when he felt down after his father died in 2014.

Then, to get rid of her sadness, Nia remembered the expression of her fellow artist in 2006 who said that crystal methamphetamine could relieve the sadness she was experiencing.

"I remember what my friend said, if we use it when we are tired, we can become strong, if we are sad, we can be happy," he said.

To get the illicit goods, Nia asked her personal driver, Zen Vivanto, to buy methamphetamine from a man with the initials R.

Then, Zen agreed and bought methamphetamine complete with a suction device from R worth Rp1.7 million in the Kebon Kacang area, Central Jakarta.

Meanwhile, Zen said that he had been doing this since April 2021, with the same weight, three to four times on the orders of Nia Ramadhani. Nia Ramadhani's husband, Ardi Bakrie, also joined Zen in consuming the methamphetamine.

​Nia was arrested by the Drug Investigation Unit (Satres) of the Central Jakarta Metro Police at her residence in the Pondok Indah area, South Jakarta, on July 7 2021 at 15.00 WIB

In its development, the Central Jakarta Metro Police named three suspects in a drug abuse case involving husband and wife Nia and Ardi Bakrie. Apart from the two, the police also named the driver with the initials ZN as a suspect.

For their actions, the defendants were charged with violating Article 127 paragraph 1 letter a of Law Number 35 of 2009 concerning Juncto Narcotics Article 55 paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code with a penalty of four years in prison.