Five face trial for reporter's beating

DILI, East Timor: The Dili Prosecutors Office presented the dossiers of five men Saturday to the local district court who are suspected of beating a journalist for a Jakarta-based magazine last month, Antara said.

"We hope the court could soon set a trial date," Bonar Pardede, the chief of the prosecutor's office, said.

Gaudensius Mau, the Dili correspondent for Tiras magazine, was beaten by a group of men on Nov. 17. He sustained severe injuries.

Bonar said the five men would be charged with assault causing severe injury under the second part of Article 170 of the Criminal Code, and a lesser charge of torture under Article 351.

The first charge carries a maximum penalty of nine years imprisonment, and the second, two years and eight months.

He said he would personally prosecute the case in court.

Expressing confidence of a conviction for the suspects, he predicted that it would take five hearings at the most for the court to settle the case. (emb)