Zarina remains tightlipped over her pregnancy<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Very much affected by televised gossip of Zarina
\nMirafsur's pregnancy, dozens of print and television journalists
\nthronged the West Jakarta District Court on Friday to search for
\nthe truth and check out the former actress' physical appearance.<\/p>\n
Zarina, a defendant in a drug case at the court, has once
\nagain surprisingly drawn the public's interest as local
\ntelevision stations repeatedly aired rumors about her pregnancy.<\/p>\n
Some enthusiastic journalists, due to limited access regarding
\nthe court's schedule, had been waiting around since early that
\nmorning, although the hearing was slated for 1 p.m.<\/p>\n
Enthusiasm blossomed following a press conference at the
\nTangerang Women and Children Penitentiary on Thursday, when head
\nof the Jakarta office of the Ministry of Law and Legislation Iman
\nSantosa disclosed that the defendant was seven months pregnant.<\/p>\n
But, the journalist's hopes of getting direct answers from
\nZarina about her pregnancy quickly evaporated as the defendant
\nchose to keep her mouth shut during her day in court.<\/p>\n
Zarina, who arrived at the courtroom in long black sleeves,
\nlooked fatter than at her previous court hearings.<\/p>\n
The agenda of Friday's court session was hearing the testimony
\nof the former television actress.<\/p>\n
The case was about her and her accomplice Ahian Santosa's
\narrest at a room in a West Jakarta hotel last November. The city
\npolice seized 0.3 grams shabu-shabu (crystal methamphetamine),
\ntin foil and paraphernalia used to smoke the drug.<\/p>\n
Besides accusing the defendant of possessing the shabu-shabu,
\nthe prosecutor also indicted the defendant for her failure to
\ninform the police about a drug party allegedly held by a number
\nof her acquaintances at a house located in Duren Sawit, East
\nJakarta, on Oct. 1 last year.<\/p>\n
Zarina stunned Friday's hearing with the statement regarding
\nher marital status.<\/p>\n
"I'm already married, your Honor. But, I haven't had a child
\nyet," she told the packed courtroom in response to presiding
\njudge Sri Handojo's question.<\/p>\n
The judge, however, didn't ask up follow-up questions
\nregarding Zarina's marital status.<\/p>\n
After the hearing, the journalists fell upon the 26-year-old
\ndefendant, who rose from where she was sitting to make a few
\ncomments.<\/p>\n
Yet, she remained tightlipped when asked about her pregnancy
\nuntil she reached the official Tangerang penitentiary's car,
\nalthough she was "forced" to speak by throngs of journalists, who
\npushed at each other to get close enough to interview her.<\/p>\n
Asked about her remarks that she was already married, Ali
\nMazi, one of Zarina's lawyers, said the statement indeed
\nsurprised the lawyers.<\/p>\n
"She never told us about that. She might be depressed about
\nthe hearing," Ali said.<\/p>\n
"She refused to speak when we asked whether she was pregnant.
\nShe also kept silent when we asked who the baby's father was,"
\nthe lawyer said.<\/p>\n
Similarly, Zarina's mother Mardiyah said she had no idea that
\nher daughter was pregnant.<\/p>\n
"Zarina has a lot of friends because of her easy-going
\nattitude. I knew about her pregnancy only from television, since
\nshe had never told me that she was pregnant," Mardiyah told
\nreporters at the district court.<\/p>\n
Zarina, who is currently serving a four-year jail term at the
\nTangerang Women's Penitentiary, is under the supervision of a
\ngynecologist named Devi.<\/p>\n
Zarina repeatedly made headlines in 1996 after she managed to
\nescape from police custody over another drug case. She was
\narrested in Houston in November 1996. (41\/asa\/edt)<\/p>",
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