Appeal by 39 RI fishermen rejected

Appeal by 39 RI fishermen rejected

KUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysian High Court has rejected an appeal by 39 Indonesian fishermen against fines of 5,000 ringgit (US$1,315) to 200,000 ringgit for illegally encroaching into Malaysian waters, a news report said Monday.

A magistrate court had sentenced the unnamed captain of the Indonesian fishing boat "Semesta Pahala Sakti" to a fine of 200,000 ringgit, or five months in jail in default, the Utusan Malaysia said.

His 38 crew members faced 10,000 ringgit in fines each, or two months in jail for illegal encroachment.

All 39 also faced a fine of 5,000 ringgit each, or a month's jail in default, for defying an order by the Malaysian authorities to stop when they were spotted on Feb. 1, 2001.

Their counsel Jagdeep Singh Deo had, in his submission, said the magistrate court had erred by failing to take into account the 13 months the 39 had languished in jail while awaiting their trial.

Malaysian authorities have said illegal fishing is a big and difficult-to-stop activity, with less than 10 percent of offenders caught. -- DPA