Police reject Zarina's request for city arrest
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)