Zarina's fate still undecided
JAKARTA (JP): Police have yet to charge Zarina Mirafsur, a drug suspect who has been kept at the Jakarta Police headquarters since her arrest last Thursday morning, with any crime.
Jakarta Police spokesman Lt. Col. Zainuri Lubis said on Tuesday detectives were still researching the correct charges to file against the 27-year-old woman.
"We are still looking for the proper articles in the existing laws which can be applied to Zarina in order to enable the police to file a dossier at the prosecutor's office," Zainuri told reporters.
Zainuri said police have faced difficulties revealing the facts behind the case since the suspects were still giving conflicting testimonies to police interrogators.
"However, at the least Zarina could be charged for failing to report the use and possession of illegal drugs," he said.
He also believed Zarina could be charged for drug trafficking.
"A suspect has admitted that Zarina handed over drugs to another suspect, but Zarina has rejected the testimony," the officer said without elaborating further.
Zarina, who in 1997 was sentenced to four years in prison for storing 29,677 ecstasy pills at her house in West Jakarta, was arrested by police detectives last week, together with nine other suspects, during an early morning raid on a hotel in West Jakarta.
The detectives confiscated 835 ecstasy pills, 51.2 grams of shabu-shabu (crystal amphetamine), 28 pornographic movies, six bongs and two small scales.
Zarina, who was apprehended with a man in one of the rooms, has repeatedly protested her innocence, saying she was at the hotel to help a friend stop using drugs.
Her arrest has come at a time of popular antidrug campaigns in Jakarta and has sparked anger among many antidrug activists.
Minister
On Monday antidrug campaigners grouped under the People's Anti-Drug Movement (Geram) demanded law enforcers in the city take strong measures, including the death penalty, against drug traffickers or users.
Support for the death sentence even came from State Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Mahadi Sinambela, who said that such a penalty is in accordance with the existing Law number 22 on Narcotics and Law number 5 on Psychotropic Substances, both issued in 1997.
According to prosecutor Nurfah S.Y at the Central Jakarta District Court, Zarina could well face the death penalty if prosecutors found her guilty of drug trafficking under the Law number 5.
"Article 2, Chapter 59 of the Law carries a maximum death sentence for persons found guilty of organizing drug trafficking," she said on Tuesday.
However, Zainuri thought this outcome highly unlikely, saying that such a case had never happened in the country before.
"The death sentence is not appropriate for our country," he said, referring to the country's Pancasila philosophy.
Another law practitioner, Judge Sri Handojo of West Jakarta District Court, appealed on Tuesday to the new members of the House of Representatives to raise maximum jail sentences for any one found guilty of drug-related offences, not only well- organized drug traffickers.
"At the moment, judges always refer to the law before reading out their verdicts. If people want us to take stern measures against drug users or traffickers, the people's representatives must revise the law and stipulate higher jail sentences," he said.
Separately, West Bandung Police chief Lt. Col. Robert TH Kodong, was replaced on Tuesday by Lt. Col. Pudji Winarso from the National Police headquarters.
Kodong will move to a new position at the National Police headquarters.
He denied his replacement was linked to his closeness to Zarina.
Rumors have circulated that Kodong has assigned his assistant to work as Zarina's body guard and driver. (asa/43)