MOSCOW, December 22 (Sputnik) — Jaycee Chan, son of film legend Jackie Chan, has been indicted in China on the charge of sheltering others for the use of illegal drugs, and is now almost certain to face trial, the Associated Press reported.
The indictment from prosecutors in Beijing’s Dongcheng District comes four months after Chan was detained. Police detained Chan, an actor and singer, and Taiwanese movie star Ko Kai at Chan’s home in August on suspicion of drug use. Ko was released after serving a 14-day administrative detention for drug use. Chan, meanwhile, faces what appears to be the far more serious charge of "providing a shelter for others to abuse drugs." One hundred grams of marijuana were confiscated from his home. If tried and convicted, the 32-year-old could face up to three years in jail. A trial date has not yet been released.
Jackie Chan, who previously served as a goodwill spokesman for China’s National Anti-Drug Committee education campaign in 2009, offered a “deep bow of apology” for his son’s arrest, NBC News explained. "Regarding this issue with my son Jaycee, I feel very angry and very shocked. As a public figure, I’m very ashamed. As a father, I’m heartbroken," Chan said in his microblog back in August, AP explained.
Jaycee Chan’s management firm M’Stones International apologized on his behalf and said that they would "supervise his rehabilitation and help him return to the right path."
This past summer, Chinese President Xi Jinping had called for "forceful measures" to be taken against the illegal use of drugs. Chan was one among several film and television stars, directors and a prominent screenwriter who have been arrested for illegal drug use, the BBC explained. The arrests were widely publicized in Chinese state and social media. Chan and Ko were featured on state television following the police raid on Chan’s apartment, where Chan and Ko were identified and admitted to drug use on camera, the AP explained.
