Cheating reporter sent to jail

Cheating reporter sent to jail

BANDA ACEH, Aceh: A senior journalist was given a 10-month prison sentence by the local district court on Tuesday for defrauding a local businessman.

Antara reported that Syarif Haris, 41, was found guilty of cheating Ruslan B.N., director of PT Gasida Nusantara, out of Rp 105 million last October.

The report did not name the publication Syarif works for but described him as deputy chairman of the Aceh chapter of the Association of Indonesian Journalists.

The prosecutors had earlier accused him of extorting the businessman but the court said there was no evidence of extortion.

Syarif, who maintains his innocence, said he would file an appeal to the high court against the verdict. (emb) campus. (emb)