Dec. 29
KYRGYZSTAN:
Kyrgyz president extends moratorium on death penalty
Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev on Thursday signed a decree extending
the moratorium on the death penalty in Kyrgyzstan, the presidential press
service told Interfax on Thursday.
"The president has extended the death penalty from January 1 2006 until
its complete legislative abolition," the press service said.
The government has been instructed "to draft and submit bills on
Kyrgyzstan's adherence to the international pact on civil and political
rights, aimed at abolishing the death penalty and approved in the UN
General Assembly's resolution on December 15 1989," it said.
(source: Interfax)
INDIA:
Bombay High Court gives death penalty to doctor
The Bombay High Court has sentenced a doctor to death, for murdering 2
persons after he falsely promised to help them emigrate to the United
States. According to the prosecution, Dr Ajay Pandit alias Jagdish Patel
used to poison people after taking money from them, promising to help them
emigrate to America.
The medical practitioner was accused of murdering Jayashree Patel and
Nilesh Patel in separate incidents and was sentenced to life imprisonment
by the sessions court in 1995, additional public prosecutor Ashuthosh
Shringarpure said.
A division bench of Justice D G Deshmukh and Justice V M Kanade last week
held that conviction of the accused by the sessions court in both the
cases was upheld while sentence is enhanced in both the cases from life
imprisonment to death sentence.
He shall be hanged till death by neck, the court said. On the prayer of
the accused, the court stayed the operation of the order for a period of
12 weeks.
(source: Rediff News)
VIETNAM:
Glitter Escapes Death Penalty
Former British rock star Gary Glitter has paid a total of nearly US$4,000
to the families of two Vietnamese girls with whom he is alleged to have
performed obscene acts, his lawyer said.
"We paid each victim family 2,000 dollars," said Le Thanh Kinh,
representing Glitter, who was arrested last month as he was trying to
leave for Thailand.
Police say two girls, aged 11 and 12 had alleged that Glitter, 61, whose
real name is Paul Francis Gadd, had sexually abused them but that he has
steadfastly denied the allegations.
"First, one family asked for 10,000 dollars, the other 5,000 dollars,"
Kinh said, without specifying which girl's family asked for the higher
amount.
"But after several rounds of negotiation, they accepted our proposal (for
US$2,000 each)," he said.
"Right after receiving the money, the families agreed to send letters to
the court, asking for the case to be dropped," Kinh said. "The paying of
the money will surely be a detail which helps reduce the charge."
Earlier this week the lawyer had said Glitter would not face the charge of
child rape, which could have carried the death penalty, for lack of
evidence but could be tried in the communist country for "obscene acts
with children."
Police said they were unaware of the exchange of money and would have
nothing to do with it.
"The paying of money to the family is a civil affair, it's none of our
business," said Nguyen Duc Trinh, deputy head of investigative police of
Ba Ria-Vung Tau province where Glitter has been detained.
The case was submitted to prosecutors earlier Wednesday with the
accusation of "obscene acts with children," Trinh said.
Prosecutors have now to decide whether to submit the case to a court,
request further police investigation or drop it.
Lawyer Kinh said that despite the development, he was still pursuing bail
for the Briton.
He has previously said a sum of US$40,000 had been proposed.
The rock star, being held in the Phuoc Co detention centre outside Vung
Tau city, is said to have complained of poor living conditions and food,
but authorities have said they have tried to make conditions a little
better for him.
Glitter, famous for his outlandish outfits and a bouffant wig, previously
served prison time in Britain after being found with a massive collection
of child pornography.
(source: World News Australia)
