BANGKOK: A Thai man was sentenced to nine years in prison by a Bangkok court yesterday for the murder of a Japanese woman two decades ago in Tokyo. Veerasak Lampongsa, 41, was convicted of stabbing 33-year-old Megumi Kawachi with a fruit knife and strangling her in an apartment in the Japanese capital in March 1993. The suspect, who pleaded guilty, stole money and other valuables before fleeing back to Thailand, according to prosecutors. He will serve his time in Thailand. Bangkok and Tokyo have no extradition treaty.
Senator seeks funds probe
MANILA: Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago said yesterday that the Commission on Audit should probe the alleged bribery of lawmakers during the impeachment trial of former chief justice Renato Corona. She said the additional funds received by some senators during and after the Corona trial constituted bribery under the Penal Code. She said every senator who voted to convict or every representative who voted to indict if each is shown to have received additional congressional fund during and after the trial, are guilty of bribery due to the close timing between both events.
$1.93bn needed for army revamp
MANILA: More than P85bn ($1.93bn) is needed for the modernisation of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in the next four years. Data from the Department of National Defence showed that P85.29bn will cover a total of 24 projects in line with the new Armed Forces Modernisation Law. Defence Undersecretary Fernando Manalo said no fund releases will be made for the program this year. However, he is hopeful that the modernization efforts will be realized due to the support from the administration, he added. AGENCIES
