Cult leader jailed for illegal meeting

Cult leader jailed for illegal meeting

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): The Timorese leader of a local doomsday cult and three of his "angels" were sentenced to a month's jail in eastern Sabah state for an illegal gathering as they waited for the end of the world, news reports said yesterday.

Petrus Ratudorin, 41, and his "angels" -- Paskalis Paska, 23, Sakarias Pehang, 23, and Frans Ebot, 30 -- pleaded guilty to defying a police order to break up an unlawful gathering in an oil palm estate on Sept. 28.

Petrus and his 197 followers were arrested at the Safima oil palm estate as they gathered to await doomsday, which the self- proclaimed spiritual leader had predicted would occur this month.

About 150 policemen raided the group's quarters in the plantation and fired tear gas canisters when cult members, some armed with spears and bows and arrows, refused to give themselves up.