Kenyan gets 15 years

Kenyan gets 15 years

MEDAN, North Sumatra: The Medan District Court sentenced
Joseph Karanja Kamau, a 32-year-old Kenya citizen, to 15 years in
prison after he was found guilty of trafficking 73 capsules of
heroin weighing 800.15 grams.

The verdict, which was read out by presiding judge Anwar
Zahri, was more lenient than the prosecutor's demand of the death
penalty.

Prosecutor Mardiana Sianturi filed an appeal.

The defendant expressed his relief upon hearing the verdict.
His lawyer, Zuhdi Lubis, said that his client was happy not to
have received the death penalty.

Kamau was arrested by customs and excise officers at Polonia
Medan airport on Oct. 22, 2002. It was found that he had
swallowed 73 capsules containing heroin.

He claimed that the heroin belonged to his friend Ahmad in
Qatar. He was only told to carry the drugs to Medan and hand them
over to someone for US$10,000. -- JP

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Across-Journalist-assaulted
Journalist assaulted by govt employee
JP/5/ACROSS

Journalist assaulted by govt employee

MANADO, North Sulawesi: A journalist working for the Manado
Post, Peggy Sampouw, 24, was allegedly assaulted by a civil
servant at the Manado mayoralty office on Tuesday.

"Samadi, a civil servant at the mayoralty office, hit my face
three times. He shouted while he was hitting me not to run
'certain articles'," Peggy told fellow journalists after
reporting the case to the Manado Police.

Peggy suffered bleeding and bruising to her lips.

The Manado Post chief editor Suhendro Moroma said he would
file a lawsuit.

The head of the local branch of the Alliance of Independent
Journalists (AJI), Remon Pasla, said that AJI would demand Manado
Mayor Wempie Fredrik be held responsible for the incident.

"The mayor should be responsible since the assault was
committed by a civil servant at his office. We allege the
violation was related to a mayoralty project handled by the
mayor's wife, Ariane Nangoy," said Remon, who is also a
journalist with Komentar daily.

He claimed that he had evidence of Ariane's involvement in
monopolizing the mayoralty park's renovation project worth
billions of rupiah.

The case is being handled by the police but no charges have
been laid yet against the civil servant. -- JP

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Across-TNI-shoots-Papua
TNI shoots rebel in Papua
JP/5/ACROSS

TNI shoots rebel in Papua

JAYAPURA, Papua: The Indonesian Military acknowledged shooting
two men, one who subsequently died as a result of his injuries,
claiming they were Papuan rebels, on Tuesday in Hut village, Tor
Atas district in Sarmi regency.

Yotam Siam, 20, was shot in the left leg while Douglas Yaas,
18, was shot in the right leg and the stomach. Douglas died on
the way to Sarmi community health center.

Trikora Military Command spokesman Maj. CAJ GT Situmorang said
that a gunfight erupted at 6 a.m. local time (4 a.m. Jakarta
time) between a group of military soldiers and 10 rebels at Hut
village.

Military personnel seized a rifle, a round of ammunition, a
number of traditional weapons and documents on the Free Papua
Organization (OPM).

Meanwhile, Papua Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Daud Sihombing
said that he had not received any information about the shooting.

"You'd better ask the military," he said. -- JP