Bugis man gets 11 years for E. Timorese murder<\/p>\n
DILI, East Timor (JP): The district court sentenced a South
\nSulawesi man to 11 years in prison yesterday for murdering a
\nfellow East Timorese trader late last year.<\/p>\n
The council of judges found Muhamad Sakir, 21, guilty of
\nkilling Mario Vicente, 20, at the Bekora market here on Nov. 12,
\n1994, after a minor feud.<\/p>\n
The murder occurred on the eve of the Asia Pacific Economic
\nCooperation meeting in Jakarta and sparked days of politicized,
\nethnic rioting in the former Portuguese colony.<\/p>\n
Sakir's lawyer, Ponco Atmono, said he needed one week to
\ndecide if he would appeal.<\/p>\n
Earlier, prosecutor T.H. Panggabean demanded that the Bugis
\nmigrant be sentenced to 14 years behind bars.<\/p>\n
The panel of judges led by Agustinus Loto Runggu said that
\nSakir was guilty of assault, which caused the death of Mario.<\/p>\n
Runggu said Sakir chopped Mario to death with a machete after
\nthe victim smashed Sakir's bird cage. A long argument ensued, in
\nwhich Mario called Sakir names in a local dialect
\nincomprehensible to the Bugis migrant.<\/p>\n
In deciding the verdict, the judges also considered the fact
\nthat Sakir's act had triggered social tensions, which resulted in
\ndays of rioting.<\/p>\n
Sakir's honesty and straightforwardness during the trials were
\nlooked upon favorably by the judges, who handed down a sentence
\nlighter than what the prosecution had demanded, Runggu said.
\n(yac\/pan)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bugis-man-gets-11-years-for-e-timorese-murder-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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