'Ecstasy found in Zarina's safe'

JAKARTA (JP): Three police testifying in the trial of Zarina, 25, charged with producing, possessing, and distributing Ecstasy pills, say they found Ecstasy and cash in a safe they confiscated from her house.

They told the West Jakarta District Court yesterday they found 29,677 Ecstasy pills and Rp 100,000 in the safe.

Herlan, a sergeant of Tangerang Police Precinct, 26 km west of here, said the pills were in plastic bags and each bag had more pills inside than was listed on the bag.

Zarina was taken to Tangerang Police Precinct for questioning after the police raided her house and confiscated the safe.

"After we counted the pills, Zarina asked us to let her sell them and give us the commission," Corp. Abubakar said.

Herlan said he only heard Zarina wanted the commission.

Mukmin, another police witness, and Abubakar, testified Zarina opened the safe with two keys, one for the top lock and one for the bottom.

One of the keys had been given to police by a man called Iwan and the other was taken from Zarina's pocket, they said.

In an earlier session another officer told the court Iwan was Zarina's driver and that he went to the precinct while she was being questioned.

They told the court Zarina opened the safe and showed them the contents but refused to let them remove them.

"She also changed the lock's code," Abubakar said. Herlan confirmed this.

Zarina a would-be TV actress has consistently denied the officer's testimonies saying she never told the officers there was Ecstasy in the safe.

"I only said that the safe and its contents belonged to Roy. I did not say there was Rp 150 million inside," she said.

She denied opening the safe twice and changing the code. She said the safe did not open with a code, only with keys and she did not have the keys with her.

She said she opened the safe that evening with keys given to her by First Lieutenant Hendarji. She also denied promising commission to the officers.

The hearing was postponed until next week. (13)