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