Aceh journalist accused of extortion

BANDA ACEH, Aceh: An Aceh journalist went on trial on Saturday for extortion.

During the first day of his trial in the Banda Aceh District Court, prosecutor Syahnan Tanjung accused the defendant, Armen bin Hasan, 46, of having extorted money from Syamsuddin Ali, the head of the Animal Husbandry Office in the Aceh provincial government.

If found guilty, the defendant -- a journalist with the Menara Weekly newspaper -- could face a maximum of nine years in jail. -- Antara