Zarina gets four-year sentence

JAKARTA (JP): Television actress Zarina collapsed in the West Jakarta District Court yesterday after being sentenced to four years jail for storing 29,677 Ecstasy pills.

Presiding judge Sumantri said Zarina, 25, violated the 1992 Health Law by keeping the drugs in a safe at her house. The maximum penalty is 15 years.

But the court found her not guilty of making or trafficking Ecstasy.

She fainted as soon as she heard the verdict and police had to carry her back to the detention cell.

She was still unconscious when officials from the prosecutor's office and her panicked lawyers took her to the prison van. She was immediately brought to nearby Harapan Kita cardiac hospital. The information officer there said Zarina was only treated for shock and was permitted to leave at about 6 p.m.

Early this month, prosecutor Rezia Djamil asked the court to sentence Zarina to five years jail.

Judge Sumantri said Zarina deserved to go to jail because she escaped from Tangerang police custody on Aug. 8, a day after her arrest, and fled to Houston, Texas, in the United States.

"I understand that it is hard for the defendant to accept this, but the fact that she kept thousands of illegal Ecstasy pills hindered the government's effort to fight drug abuse," Sumantri said.

But he also said Zarina had a chance to change because she was young and had never been in trouble before.

Spectators in the packed court, many sitting on the floor, applauded the sentence.

Zarina's lawyers -- Amir Syamsudin, Henry Yosodiningrat and Nurhasyim Ilyas -- said they would appeal.

Judge Sumantri's decision to close the session before Zarina's lawyers could say whether they would appeal the sentence caused a brief argument between Sumantri and defense lawyer Henry.

The judge told Henry he should have informed the court that the defendant would appeal before the session closed.

"Don't you know anything about the court procedure?" Sumantri asked.

The lawyer retorted that the judge did not give the defense a chance to decide whether to appeal before closing the session.

During the trial Zarina, who wore a bright red suit, matching shoes and a black handbag, looked nervous.

She repeatedly wiped her face with tissues, and fussed over her hair. Her every move was greeted with a dozen camera flashes.

Last week, Zarina cried while reading her defense statement in which she said she was innocent and the drugs belonged to her friend Roy.

During yesterday's session dozens of police closely guarded Zarina.

Security grew even tighter when judge Sumantri was about to finish reading the verdict.

Police formed a guard around Zarina and prevented reporters coming closer to her.

The officers also yelled at and hit some male reporters. One officer hit, pushed and held an SCTV cameraman and a reporter at gunpoint.

The incident sparked protests from dozens of other reporters, who were also trying to get close to the defendant.

The court was chaotic as photographers jostling for the best angle, jumped on to the empty prosecutors' tables and even the judge's bench.

One of the prosecutors, Uri Hasan Basri, said the sentence -- which was one year less than the prosecution sought -- was "enough to punish her for her crime."

He said the prosecution was ready for any appeal.

Defense lawyer Nurhasyim Ilyas said Zarina would appeal because the judges had based their decision on evidence which could be interpreted in different ways.

A more thorough examination of the evidence and the defendant's testimony was needed, Nurhasyim said.

"That is what we intend to get in the High Court," he said.

After Zarina was brought back from Houston last year National Police Chief Lt. Gen. Dibyo Widodo had said Zarina might be a member of an international syndicate. But the court had not revealed any evidence of this.

Drug abuse is expected to face harsher punishment since a bill on psychotropic drugs was passed in January. The bill, for which offenders face a minimum of four years jail, makes it a crime for anyone to use, distribute, possess, store, trade and produce psychotropic drugs which fall into Category I, to which Ecstasy belongs. The maximum penalty is death. (12)

Editorial -- Page 4