Aussies facing court over Papua flight

A lawyer representing five Australians on trial for illegally entering Indonesia
hopes their cases will be finalised by the end of the year.
Pilot William Henry Scott-Bloxam on Monday faced Merauke District Court for the
second time.
He is facing trial for landing his plane in Merauke, in Papua province, without
permission on September 12.
He and four others - his wife and co-pilot Vera Scott-Bloxam, and passengers Keith
Mortimer, Hubert Hofer and Karen Burke - were arrested at the airport after flying
to the troubled region from Queensland's Cape York on an alleged private sightseeing
trip.
The other four will face court on Wednesday on immigration offences when their trial
continues.
The group's lawyer Efrem Fangohoi said the five were "well" and "healthy", and had
recently left immigration detention and moved into a rented house.
He hoped the trial process would be finished "before the end of this year".
"I hope they can be free, especially the four passengers, because they were just
looking around," Fangohoi said.
The court heard on Monday from three witnesses, including an airforce intelligence
officer and police, who testified about the investigation.
The hearing, which lasted just over an hour, was also attended by the four
passengers and two Australian embassy officials.
Chief Judge D Sinaga adjourned the case until next week, when representatives from
Indonesia's Ministry of Transport are expected to appear.