Zarina faces drug trafficking charge

Zarina faces drug trafficking charge

JAKARTA (JP): City police detectives chief Col. Alex Bambang
Riatmodjo said on Thursday that his office would charge Zarina
Mirafsur with drug trafficking as stipulated in Article 60 of Law
No. 5/1997 on psychotropic substances.

"That's the article that we're going to nail her with,"
officer Alex told The Jakarta Post.

According to paragraph C of the article, those found guilty of
producing and distributing a drug that has not yet been
registered with the Ministry of Health could face a maximum
penalty of 15 years in jail and a fine of up to Rp 200 million
(US$28,570).

Alex acknowledged that his men had not completed the dossier
on Zarina, who was arrested during a raid on an apartment in a
hotel in West Jakarta on Nov. 11 together with nine other
suspects.

But he refused to comment further on the belated investigation
process of Zarina's case and hastily ended the conversation.

It is likely that Zarina, her family and lawyers will strongly
object to the charge. Her lawyers insist that the 27-year-old
woman was there to stop a male friend consuming drugs.

Zarina, who is on parole after being sentenced to four years
imprisonment two years ago for storing 29,677 ecstasy pills at
her house, asserts that the shabu-shabu (crystal methamphetamine)
found in the apartment by the police was not hers but belonged to
the man, identified as Ahian Santoso, alias Yeye.

One of her lawyers, Ali Mazi, told reporters on Thursday his
client was in possession of a written statement signed by Yeye in
which the latter admits to owning the drug.

During the raid, police seized 835 ecstasy pills, 51.2 grams
of shabu-shabu, 28 pornographic movies, six bongs and two small
scales from the 10 suspects arrested.

"Yeye signed the paper in the presence of police and us
(Zarina's lawyers Ali and Roy Rening)," Ali said.

"This proves once again Zarina's innocence. It proves what
Yeye has said since the day he was arrested with Zarina at the
hotel on Jl. Tanjung Duren, West Jakarta. The drugs were his."
Ali said.

Ali explained that he also had a copy of a police document
with Zarina's signature on it. Zarina is apparently denying some
of the contents of the document.

In the police report, Zarina and Yeye are named as suspects in
last week's raid.

After almost a week of being denied visitors in police
custody, Zarina's lawyers and family members were allowed on
Thursday to visit her.

Upon meeting Zarina in the tightly secured city police
detention center, a crying mother Mardiah immediately hugged
Zarina and her younger brother Julian, who is being detained for
alleged involvement in another drug case in Bandung.

Upon seeing her mother and her sister Zamila, the suspect
hurriedly pulled off the blue prison T-shirt she was wearing and
immediately ordered Zamila to call their other sisters on a cell
phone, so that Zarina could speak to them for a few moments.

The woman also complained about the poor service she received
in the jail.

All her belongings, such as her cell phone, a pen and other
items, were removed from her cell by the police, she claimed.

I've only been left with a pencil and a notebook, with which I
can communicate to the outside world," Zarina told the Post.

She claimed she was being made into a scapegoat in a case
masterminded by a certain high-ranking officer in his quest for
higher post.

According to officer Alex, the police would not be
influenced by Zarina's statement, saying that the only reason he
had detained her was that she was at the crime scene with Yeye,
the drugs and the drug paraphernalia.

"Furthermore, she does not have a clean record. She was caught
before with nearly 30,000 ecstasy pills a few years ago, for
which she was jailed. She's out on conditional release, and my
officer gets her again with drugs in my jurisdiction."

The police chief of the detectives' narcotics division, Lt.
Col. Abdullah, said earlier on Monday that he had solid evidence
of Yeye's role as a drug courier.

"Zarina placed an order for the drugs through her cell phone.
Yeye brought them with him to the hotel, booking the rooms by
giving them his credit card number. I have solid evidence to
prove this, which will be brought before the court. If it ever
gets to that," Abdullah told reporters.

On Wednesday, Zarina's father, Mirafsur Khan, once again
insisted that his family had a good relationship with senior West
Java Police officers, including the West Bandung precinct police
chief Lt. Col. Robert Kodong, who was recently replaced.

Kodong had earlier denied his replacement was linked to his
relationship with Zarina.

When asked if he knew about his daughter's alleged ties to
drug dealers, Mirafsur said: "Once you get into that world, you
can't get out. My daughter is being used as a pawn ... and she
cannot say much. Her life is at stake.

"I'd rather have her in jail than dead."

Zarina's lawyers visited the National Commission on Human
Rights (Komnasham) on Wednesday to lodge a complaint against
officer Alex for having mistreated her and coercing her to sign
the police dossier. (ylt)