Suharto relative jailed for drugs

Gusti Maya Noor wept as the sentence was read out

A relative of former Indonesian President Suharto has been jailed for eight months for illegal possession of drugs.

Gusti Maya Noor, the wife of one of Mr Suharto's grandsons, Ari Sigit, was also fined $1,765 after she was found guilty of possessing a small amount of crystal methamphetamine, also known as ice or in Indonesia as "shabu-shabu."

Mr Suharto: Declared unfit to stand trial

No other members of the Suharto family were in court for the verdict.

She is the second member of the Suharto family to be jailed and correspondents say the verdict will mark another stain on the battered reputation of what was once Indonesia's first family.

Her husband, who arrived at court after the verdict, said his wife was considering an appeal against the sentence.

"The sentence is too heavy considering that Maya is now undergoing rehabilitation therapy," he told reporters.

Pardon denied

The collapse of the Suharto trial led to widespread protests

Last month the former president's youngest son, Tommy, was sentenced to 18 months in jail for corruption.

He has applied to President Abdurrahman Wahid for a pardon, but the president has refused the request.

Mr Suharto himself was on trial for corruption until last month, when a controversial decision was taken to drop the case against him on health grounds.

His lawyers said their client had suffered a series of strokes and was unfit to stand trial.

Suharto's face is slowly being removed from Indonesia's banknotes

The former president ruled Indonesia with an iron grip for more than three decades, during which he is accused of having siphoned off millions of dollars of state funds.

Mr Suharto finally stepped down amid widespread protests in May 1998.

Since then there have been a series of often violent protests demanding his prosecution for corruption.

President Wahid, who has hinted that he may seek a resumption of proceedings against the former dictator, said on Friday that there would be "no mercy" for any of the Suharto family convicted of wrongdoing.