Police reject Zarina's request for city arrest

JAKARTA (JP): Police have turned down a request from lawyers of Zarina, the Ecstasy-case escapee, that she be placed under city arrest.

Temporary release either on the basis of bail or a guarantee that she would not leave town would disturb ongoing investigations, the head of the Jakarta Metropolitan Police Detectives, Lt. Col. Paimin Aboeamr, said Saturday.

Zarina's lawyers from Amir Syamsuddin and Partners had guaranteed the 24-year-old suspect would not try to escape again.

"Staying outside police custody is not good for Zarina's safety," Paimin told The Jakarta Post.

Although Paimin gave no further explanation, it is strongly believed he was referring to possibilities that the novice television actress might be wanted by a well-organized drug trafficking syndicate.

Besides that, Paimin said, the release might only spark unexpected protests from the public.

"Could you imagine what the public might say if we released on bail the woman once named as the most-wanted suspect?" Paimin said.

He said police objections to the request have been accepted by Zarina's lawyers, headed by D. Irawadi Syamsuddin.

Zarina, who escaped from police custody a day after she was arrested for possessing 29,677 Ecstasy pills, was rearrested in Houston, the United States, on Nov. 4.

She arrived in Indonesia two weeks later, under tight security.

Zarina is now at the Jakarta Metropolitan Police Detention Center. She is under intensive interrogation focusing on the source of the pills.

Paimin said the police are now eyeing a number of people who might be linked with the pills, which were seized from Zarina's house.

A reliable source said police might not be able to find the original owner of the pills.

"They might only bring Zarina to court, because this woman is too smart to give interrogators any names related with the illegal business," the source said.

He said Zarina has a close relationship with Ida and Roy, two names on the police blacklist of drug traffickers.

The source said Ida is a woman living in Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta, while Roy is the one who Zarina said owns the pills. (bsr)