Wasim Buka was sentenced recently on two charges of people-smuggling. He came to Australia as a boat person and has settled in Australia. Unfortunately, two of his brothers were executed in Iraq and one sister, following in his footsteps to Australia, drowned along with her husband and five children in the waters between Australia and Indonesia.
Her Honour Judge Hampel decided to release him upon a recognizance release order to be of good behaviour for a period of two years. He was released on a $1,000 bond.
See the link below for the full transcript of Judge Hampel’s decision. It is a succinct and moving judgement. John Menadue.
http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/cases/vic/VCC/2016/75.html
John Menadue is the Founder of Pearls and Irritations and a board member. He was formerly the Editor-in-Chief. John was the Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet under Gough Whitlam and Malcolm Fraser, Ambassador to Japan, Secretary of the Department of Immigration and CEO of Qantas.
Comments
One response to “Our better angels.”
Just being dumb enough to call it people smuggling and punishing people for a non crime while we actually break the law by illegally trafficking people to Nauru and Manus Island is something it’s time our media understood.