Hearing delayed for Zarina's breakfast

Hearing delayed for Zarina's breakfast

JAKARTA (JP): A judge at the West Jakarta District Court
decided on Tuesday to suspend the initial hearing of drug
defendant Zarina Mirafsur for 10 minutes so she could have her
breakfast.

"The hearing is delayed for 10 minutes to give the defendant a
chance to finish her breakfast," presiding Judge Basoeki said.

The decision was made after the prosecutor failed to bring the
defendant to the courtroom when the hearing was about to begin.
It was 10:45 a.m.

"The defendant is still enjoying her breakfast in the holding
cell, your Honor," prosecutor Hasan Madani said. The cell is
located within the district court complex.

Last week, the court postponed the hearing after Zarina
claimed that she was not fit for the initial session. Judge
Basoeki agreed to adjourn the hearing for "humanitarian reasons".

The hearing started 10 minutes later after Zarina ate a plate
of rice, a boiled egg and a piece of chicken meat.

Wearing a long dark blue dress decorated with flowers and
black shoes, Zarina arrived at the district court at about 10:30.
She seemed in good health and repeatedly smiled to the audience
in the packed courtroom.

The main agenda of Tuesday's hearing was the reading of the
prosecutor's indictment. The prosecutor said Zarina would be
charged with drug possession in two separate cases.

She is accused of possessing shabu-shabu (crystal
methamphetamine) on Jl. Kemanggisan Raya Utama in West Jakarta.
Later on Nov. 11, she was arrested along with a friend, Ahian
Santoso, in a hotel apartment in West Jakarta for allegedly
possessing 0.3 grams of shabu-shabu.

After the prosecutor read the indictment, the judge asked
Zarina whether she understood its content.

Zarina replied: "I understand, sir. But it is not in line with
the facts that I know."

Judge Basoeki then suggested she prepare her defense
statement.

The judge, however, ruled out a request by Zarina that the
court move her from the Tangerang Women's Penitentiary to a
prison in Jakarta.

"The court can't decide on the matter. It's the authority of
the penitentiary officials and the West Jakarta Prosecutor's
Office to decide whether the defendant can be moved to Jakarta,"
he said.

If her request is approved, she would likely be placed at the
only women prison in the city -- the Pondok Bambu Penitentiary in
East Jakarta.

Zarina's request came after the judge, the prosecutors and
Zarina's lawyers were confused about setting a time for the next
hearing, which was scheduled for Friday.

The judge said the hearing could not be conducted on Friday
morning as the officials from the prosecutor's office would take
a long time to pick Zarina up in Tangerang and bring her to
court.

"Muslims conduct Friday prayer at noon. So we can only conduct
the hearing in the afternoon," he said. (asa)