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)