McCarthy denies wrongdoing

JAKARTA: Paul McCarthy, one of two Australians deported by the immigration office in the East Nusa Tenggara capital of Kupang, has denied accusations that he violated immigration regulations.

McCarthy, of the Australian Light Horse Cadets -- Overseas Community Aid, said that the accusations of political objectives, made on Wednesday by acting head of the Kupang Immigration office Immanuel Pulungan, were baseless.

"The accusations showed that there isn't any gratitude to what I have done in donating Rp 25 billion to help the local administration handle the repatriation of the East Timorese refugees," he said in a statement made available to The Jakarta Post on Friday.

He said he did not need any appreciation as the most important thing for him was how to further his humanitarian mission to save the refugees, who mostly live in miserable conditions at the refugee camp in the province.

"The fact is that I was deported not because I did anything wrong, but because I refused to meet his request for cash amounting to Rp 5 million," he said. -- JP