RIYADH, 10 June 2003 — An Australian man sentenced to 600 lashes and two years in jail for alcohol trafficking was released here on Sunday.
Robert Laroo, from the eastern Australian state of Queensland, was arrested last August for running an illegal alcohol operation.
Laroo was deported after being granted an early release following a royal pardon.
Alcohol is prohibited in the Kingdom and offenders trafficking or manufacturing such substances are punished with floggings and imprisonment.
A spokesman for the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs told Arab News: “Laroo reached Manila yesterday and is on his way home after serving 10 months in a Saudi jail.”
The spokesman said the Australian prisoner had not contested his charges when he was sentenced in April.
“The man (Laroo) has specifically asked us to make no further representations as he was concerned that it would affect his chances for release,” the spokesman said.
