Police chief ordered to sign, submit authorization letter

JAKARTA (JP): A judge adjourned the pretrial hearing of a lawsuit filed by alleged drug trafficker Zarina Mirafsur against the city police headquarters after declaring unlawful a letter authorizing the city police's lawyers to represent them.

"City police lawyers must submit an authorization letter signed by the city police chief by tomorrow," said presiding Judge Maulida on Thursday at the South Jakarta District Court.

Last week, Zarina filed the lawsuit with the court, demanding it issue a ruling that her arrest was unlawful.

Soon after the hearing was officially opened, Zarina's lawyers -- Ali Mazi, Pascalis Pieter, Petrus Bala Patyona and Roy Rening -- questioned the validity of the city police's authorization letter. The letter was signed by city police detectives chief Col. Alex Bambang Riatmodjo.

City police were represented by Capt. Barnabas Iman Setiyono and First Lt. Ashanul Muqaffi, both from the city police's legal section.

"The lawsuit was filed against the city police headquarters. So city police chief Maj. Gen. Noegroho Djajoesman should have been the one who signed the authorization letter," said Roy Rening.

Judge Maulida agreed with Zarina's lawyers and ordered the city police's lawyers to submit an authorization letter signed by the city police chief.

Zarina, together with nine other suspects, were arrested in an early morning police raid at five apartments in a hotel in West Jakarta last Thursday.

The police confiscated 835 ecstasy pills, 51.2 grams of shabu- shabu (crystal methamphetamine), 28 pornographic movies, six bongs and two small scales.

Zarina was sent back to Tangerang Women's Prison on Wednesday evening after Minister of Law and Legislation Yusril Ihza Mahendra revoked her conditional release status due to her alleged involvement in the drug case. Zarina was granted the conditional release status last year for good behavior.

On Wednesday evening, reporters remained outside the city police detention, waiting for Zarina to leave her cell and get into the prison truck, which was parked outside the door.

At about 9 p.m., Zarina's sister Zamila arrived with husband Danny, delivering fresh clothes for her. She was shocked to see the prison truck.

"Pak Ali (Zarina's lawyer) did not tell me this. I can't believe the police is going through with this. They can't send my sister back there (Tangerang prison)," Zamila said, while she clutched two plastic bags of clothes.

Screaming

Narcotics unit chief Maj. Gusti Ketut Gunawa and Zarina's questioning officer, Capt. Illyas Saad, also of the narcotics unit, entered the detention area to speak with Zarina at about 9 p.m.

Amid loud crying and screaming from inside, Illyas emerged two hours later and told reporters not to stand too close to the suspect since she refused to have her picture taken.

In Tangerang, scores of reporters were disappointed when they were refused by prison guards to meet Zarina, who returned to prison to continue her remaining two years in jail.

The two years are part of a four-year prison term she started serving in 1996 for storing nearly 30,000 ecstasy pills, while waiting for the completion of her new drug case.

Zarina's lawyer Ali Mazi said on Thursday that she was going to return before the South Jakarta District Court on Friday to attend the pretrial hearing of the lawsuit against the Jakarta Police.

Zarina had stated that police coerced her into signing a dossier, in which she was named a suspect in the drug case.

Ali added that according to Article 21 and 183 of the Criminal Code, a person cannot be held without possessing strong evidence to incriminate him or her.

"What the police did on Wednesday night -- dragging her into the prison truck and driving her off to prison -- was a violation of human rights," Ali said.

Zarina's mother Mardiah was very disappointed that she was not allowed to meet her daughter.

"I'm disappointed with the police. We were not informed that they would take her there," Mardiah said. (asa/ylt/41)