Zarina's last act

Zarina's last act

The curtain finally fell yesterday on what must have been one
of the most mesmerizing and longest running real-life dramas this
nation has seen for some time. TV actress Zarina collapsed in the
West Jakarta District Court the moment she was pronounced guilty,
giving a fitting climax to the story which has become more
popular than local sinetron soap operas and the popular Latin
imports, telenovela.

Zarina, 24, has held the nation's attention ever since she was
arrested at her rented home in West Jakarta in August, where
police seized more than 29,000 Ecstasy pills. Her actions since
then have acquired her popularity -- some call it notoriety --
that she could not have gained by playing small roles in sinetron
the way she did before her capture.

The media may have contributed to her rapid rise to fame, but
it was her actions that captivated the public's imagination and
kept them in suspense.

First, there was the allegation that she tried to bribe her
way out when she was arrested. Then there was her escape from
police detention three days later, which set off a nationwide
manhunt. There was also the discovery that she had fled to
Houston, Texas. Her return to Indonesia more than three months
later was highly publicized.

The long court hearings were equally dramatic. She tearfully
told the judge in her closing arguments that all she wanted to do
was to go home. This was the buildup to yesterday's climax,
whereupon our "heroine" collapsed. This series of events would
make a thrilling episode in any soap opera.

Yesterday, the court found Zarina guilty of "storing" the
Ecstasy pills, citing the 1992 Health Law on the distribution of
dangerous drugs. She escaped the more serious charge of
distributing the drug, which is punishable with up to 15 years
imprisonment. And she escaped the tougher law on psychotropic
drugs because the legislation was only enacted earlier this year,
long after the alleged offense took place.

The sheer size of the Ecstasy haul no doubt contributed to the
government and the House of Representatives' acceleration of the
deliberation and enactment of the law on psychotropic drugs. The
legislation gives law enforcers badly needed tools to effectively
deal with the Ecstasy menace that is threatening the nation's
youth. Previously, police and prosecutors had trouble using the
1992 Health Law because it only deals with the distribution of
dangerous drugs but not possession, let alone storage.

Zarina insisted in court that the Ecstasy pills found inside a
safe in her home belonged to a friend. The court accepted her
explanation but convicted her nevertheless for storing the pills.
The verdict has left a number of unanswered questions, such as
who owned the pills, whether a syndicate was involved -- as the
size of the haul suggests -- and if so, why the authorities
haven't busted them. Whether in real life, or in a soap opera,
the public has a right to know.

Zarina's lawyers have already announced their intention to
appeal against the sentence. But for the time being, the public,
which has been captivated by Zarina's story, will have to contend
with the guilty verdict. Like all successful movies or TV dramas,
one can certainly expect a sequel to this story, titled Zarina II
or Zarina Returns. Then, perhaps, some of the public's questions
will be answered.