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)