Officer absent in Zarina's trial

JAKARTA (JP): A police officer, under whose escort a defendant in an Ecstasy case escaped, did not turn up to testify yesterday because he was sick.

Capt. Ade Sutiana, former head of the detectives unit at the Tangerang police precinct, failed to appear in court because he was in hospital with typhoid, prosecutor Rizia Jamil told the West Jakarta District Court. The prosecutor did not say which hospital.

The defendant, Zarina, made headlines when she escaped from Ade Sutiana's escort between the Tangerang Police Precinct, some 26 km west of here, and the Jakarta Police Headquarters, on Aug. 8. Ade was relieved of his post soon after.

Observers say Ade is a key witness in the case.

The defendant, an actress whose real name is Zarima, was arrested on Aug. 7 after police raided her house and confiscated a safe containing 29,677 Ecstasy pills.

She left the country soon after she escaped her police escort.

She was rearrested in Houston, U.S., on Nov. 4, and was brought home on Nov. 17.

The trial was adjourned until next Monday. (13)