Trial of Zarina to continue despite protests
Trial of Zarina to continue despite protests
JAKARTA (JP): The West Jakarta District Court panel of judges
trying Zarina for possessing 29,677 Ecstasy pills rejected her
lawyers' objections to the indictment and decided to proceed with
the trial.
Presiding Judge Sumantri said in yesterday's session that her
lawyers' objection to the indictment on the grounds that it was
unclear was incorrect.
In the objection read to the court last week Zarina's lawyers
said the prosecutors' charge that Zarina had produced and
distributed the Ecstasy pills was absurd.
The judges said yesterday that continuing with the trial would
determine the correctness of the indictment, Antara reported.
Her lawyers, Amir Syamsudin, OC Kaligis, Henry Yosodiningrat
and Nurhasyim Ilyas also claimed the indictment was incomplete.
According to the judges, the indictment was complete, legal
and the trial should go on.
The lawyers accepted the judges' decision and agreed to the
adjournment of the trial until March 6, when witnesses will be
heard.
The would-be TV actress, Zarina, is charged with possessing
29,677 Ecstasy pills at her residence in West Jakarta.
The indictment says the 24-year-old defendant violated Article
80 (4) or Article 40 (1) of 1992 Health Law No. 23.
The possession and trafficking of Ecstasy is illegal under
1992 Health Law No. 23, and it is punishable by up to 15 years
jail or a fine of up to Rp 300 million (US$124,000).
The House of Representatives has endorsed a bill on
psychotropic drugs that, when passed, will allow courts to hand
down the death penalty to Ecstasy traffickers. The bill is
awaiting a directive to become effective.
The defendant graced the court yesterday in a cream blazer and
trousers, white high-heeled shoes and white handbag. She carried
a book titled Hak-hak Asasi Manusia (Human Rights).
The trial attracted a crowd again yesterday of curious
onlookers wanting to see the woman whose pre-trial antics, mid-
trial wardrobe and just recently reported pregnancy continue to
spice local headlines.
Zarina "confessed" her pregnancy to a reporter.
Pos Kota daily reported the defendant's urine test for
pregnancy was negative.
Her lawyers and police officers issued an official statement
saying Zarina's "pregnancy" was just a rumor started by her joke
with the reporter.
Edwin, Zarina's former boy friend, told Pos Kota that reports
on Zarina's pregnancy did not surprise him. "She had many men,"
Edwin said, quoted the daily. He had lived with Zarina for two
years. (sur)