Qld: Court stops Japanese student from going home

00-00-0000
Qld: Court stops Japanese student from going home

By Suzanne Klotz

BRISBANE, Dec 24 AAP - A Japanese student charged over the "horseplay" drowning deathof a friend in Brisbane, has had an application to return home to visit his sick motherin Japan refused.

Hiroki Suzuki, 19, is charged together with four other Japanese students of the manslaughterof their 18-year-old Taiwanese friend, Hsu Wei-Li, on November 29 this year.

The students were having a private barbecue at Brisbane's Mowbray Park, when a numberof them started throwing each other into the Brisbane River.

Wei-Li disappeared and his body was retrieved the next day.

In making an application to vary Suzuki's bail today, his solicitor Noel Barbi saidhis client wanted to leave Australia to go home to visit his mother who was scheduledto have a gynaecological operation in three days' time.

The crown opposed the application on the basis no extradition treaty existed betweenAustralia and Japan, and if he was allowed to leave the country they wanted a surety of$100,000.

Mr Barbi said Suzuki's family was not rich and they could only afford up to $10,000 bail.

He said Wei-Li's death came about as a result of "horseplay" and all of the accusedintended to defend the charge.

"The Japanese have a high amount of honour in these matters -- he wants to clear hisname -- he sees it as his duty," Mr Barbi said.

He said Suzuki wanted to return home to be with his mother before the operation, tolook after his younger brother and to take part in a coming of age ceremony to celebrateturning 20 and being inducted into manhood.

However, Magistrate Bill McKay refused the application, saying the lack of an extraditionarrangement with Japan meant it would be difficult to force Suzuki to come back.

Suzuki and the other accused are all on bail and have been remanded to reappear inthe Brisbane Magistrates Court on February 3.

AAP smk/jhm/csd/sb

KEYWORD: SUZUKI