Assault case nearly solved

Assault case nearly solved

DILI, East Timor: Police here said yesterday they were
optimistic they would soon uncover the motive for Sunday's attack
on a journalist.

Local police chief Col. Yusuf Mucharam said police optimism is
based on testimonies from witnesses that they saw two of the
eight men arrested by the police attacking Gaudensius Mau, a
journalist with Tiras magazine.

He said six other men arrested were released due to lack of
evidence. Yusuf said the police had yet to determine the motive
behind the assault, but insisted the assault on the journalist
was a criminal case, not a political one.

Gaudensius, 30, was beaten up last Sunday evening by eight men
who called him an intelligence officer. The police are still
hunting for the other six men. (33/08)