Philippines upholds Agus' jail term

Philippines upholds Agus' jail term

PHILIPPINES: An Indonesian man linked to a radical group on Thursday lost his bid to overturn his 17-year prison term for trying to smuggle explosives through the country, the Philippines Supreme Court ruled.

The court said Agus Dwikarna had erred in taking his case to the Supreme Court when he should have gone through lower appeal courts first.

"Unfortunately, despite the availability of an appeal, the petitioner pursued the wrong mode (of appeal)," the written ruling by associate justice Renato Corona said.

The Indonesian was sentenced to 17 years' jail two years ago after he and two other Indonesians were arrested at Manila airport in March 2001 while trying to smuggle explosives into a Bangkok-bound commercial flight.

Philippine prosecutors dropped the charges against his two co- accused, who were deported to Indonesia following an appeal from Indonesian President Megawati Soekarnoputri. --AFP