Ade will not testify in court

Ade will not testify in court

JAKARTA (JP): The former detective who allegedly allowed the
escape of Zarina, who is being tried for the production,
distribution, and possession of 29,677 Ecstasy pills, would not
testify, a prosecutor said.

After the session yesterday at the West Jakarta District
Court, prosecutor Rizia Jamil said the testimony of Ade Sutiana,
who had been earlier summoned as witness, was not relevant.

"He will not be summoned because his presence does not have
any relevance to the accusations," she said.

The indictment did not cover Zarina's escape from the country,
she said.

Rizia said Ade had been summoned at Zarina's lawyers request.

Ade escorted Zarina from a police precinct to Jakarta Police
Headquarters on Aug. 8, the day after she was arrested at her
home in Kebon Jeruk, West Jakarta.

But Zarina escaped.

She was arrested again in Houston, United States, on Nov. 4
and brought home on Nov. 17.

Rizia said Ade had typhoid, and the court might have to wait a
month to hear him.

Rizia and colleague Uri Hasan Basri yesterday failed for the
fourth time to get Zarina's stepfather, Andi Meuraxa, to court to
testify.

Uri read Andi's police statement to the court. In it Andi said
his wife told him Zarina had escaped. It said he found out Zarina
had been arrested from the television news. He went home and his
wife, who was crying, told him Zarina had escaped through a
window, it said.

Zarina was arrested after the police raided her house and
confiscated a safe containing the Ecstasy pills. (13)