Three imprisoned for Dili rioting

Three imprisoned for Dili rioting

JAKARTA (JP): The Dili District Court here has sentenced three people to a total of 26 months in prison for their roles in the ethnic rioting late last year.

A panel of judges chaired by Barita Sinaga sentenced Joao Alexio to 14 months, Julio Guteres to one year and Santiago Sanches Lajes also to one year in prison during separate trial sessions.

The defendants were tried for their roles in three days of violence sparked by the Nov. 12 murder of an East Timorese, Mario Vincente, 30, by a South Sulawesi migrant, Muhammad Syakir.

Syakir was sentenced to 14 years in jail in January.

Twenty-seven people suspected of involvement in the Nov. 12 incident are awaiting trial on criminal charges.

The highly politicized violence coincided with the meeting of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) officials in Jakarta.

In their verdict, the judges said on Thursday that Alexio pleaded guilty of stoning houses, vandalizing the property of others and attacking people during the rioting, Antara reported.

They said that Alexio had affirmed the testimony of witnesses who told the court of the "brutal" actions of the defendant during the rioting.

The judges said Alexio's first criminal act occurred when he attacked a car after the driver refused his demand for money. He then joined Guteres and Sanchez in vandalizing shops and houses.

Guteres and Sanchez were found guilty of stoning houses and vandalizing shops.

All of the defendants accepted the verdicts. (pan)