Zarina remains tightlipped over her pregnancy

Zarina remains tightlipped over her pregnancy

JAKARTA (JP): Very much affected by televised gossip of Zarina
Mirafsur's pregnancy, dozens of print and television journalists
thronged the West Jakarta District Court on Friday to search for
the truth and check out the former actress' physical appearance.

Zarina, a defendant in a drug case at the court, has once
again surprisingly drawn the public's interest as local
television stations repeatedly aired rumors about her pregnancy.

Some enthusiastic journalists, due to limited access regarding
the court's schedule, had been waiting around since early that
morning, although the hearing was slated for 1 p.m.

Enthusiasm blossomed following a press conference at the
Tangerang Women and Children Penitentiary on Thursday, when head
of the Jakarta office of the Ministry of Law and Legislation Iman
Santosa disclosed that the defendant was seven months pregnant.

But, the journalist's hopes of getting direct answers from
Zarina about her pregnancy quickly evaporated as the defendant
chose to keep her mouth shut during her day in court.

Zarina, who arrived at the courtroom in long black sleeves,
looked fatter than at her previous court hearings.

The agenda of Friday's court session was hearing the testimony
of the former television actress.

The case was about her and her accomplice Ahian Santosa's
arrest at a room in a West Jakarta hotel last November. The city
police seized 0.3 grams shabu-shabu (crystal methamphetamine),
tin foil and paraphernalia used to smoke the drug.

Besides accusing the defendant of possessing the shabu-shabu,
the prosecutor also indicted the defendant for her failure to
inform the police about a drug party allegedly held by a number
of her acquaintances at a house located in Duren Sawit, East
Jakarta, on Oct. 1 last year.

Zarina stunned Friday's hearing with the statement regarding
her marital status.

"I'm already married, your Honor. But, I haven't had a child
yet," she told the packed courtroom in response to presiding
judge Sri Handojo's question.

The judge, however, didn't ask up follow-up questions
regarding Zarina's marital status.

After the hearing, the journalists fell upon the 26-year-old
defendant, who rose from where she was sitting to make a few
comments.

Yet, she remained tightlipped when asked about her pregnancy
until she reached the official Tangerang penitentiary's car,
although she was "forced" to speak by throngs of journalists, who
pushed at each other to get close enough to interview her.

Asked about her remarks that she was already married, Ali
Mazi, one of Zarina's lawyers, said the statement indeed
surprised the lawyers.

"She never told us about that. She might be depressed about
the hearing," Ali said.

"She refused to speak when we asked whether she was pregnant.
She also kept silent when we asked who the baby's father was,"
the lawyer said.

Similarly, Zarina's mother Mardiyah said she had no idea that
her daughter was pregnant.

"Zarina has a lot of friends because of her easy-going
attitude. I knew about her pregnancy only from television, since
she had never told me that she was pregnant," Mardiyah told
reporters at the district court.

Zarina, who is currently serving a four-year jail term at the
Tangerang Women's Penitentiary, is under the supervision of a
gynecologist named Devi.

Zarina repeatedly made headlines in 1996 after she managed to
escape from police custody over another drug case. She was
arrested in Houston in November 1996. (41/asa/edt)