Prisons for East Timor

DILI, East Timor: Two prisons will be built in the youngest province during the 1996/1997 fiscal year, a local official said yesterday.

Chief of the local justice office, Benny J. Mathaus, said the prisons will be built in the Kovalima and Ambeno regencies. The two regencies do not have district courts or detention centers.

Cases in the two regencies are now tried in neighboring regency courts. Prisoners are held in the nearest regency.

Ambeno law enforcers often send detainees to neighboring East Nusa Tenggara, in western Timor, Antara reported.

The provincial government plans to build district courts in the Baucau, Kovalima and Ambeno regencies this year. (pan)