Indonesia releases man

National

INDONESIAN officials have released a Wuvulu Islander from a military isolation centre in Jayapura after detaining him for seven days as part of a Covid-19 precaution, PNG Consul-General Geoffrey Wiri says.
Wiri said 25-year-old Jeffrey Benjamin was among six passengers on a drifting boat in Indonesian waters, who were rescued on July 19.
Benjamin returned a temperature reading higher than the other passengers and was tested and taken by Indonesian officials to a military isolation centre.
The group had been drifting for six days.
Benjamin and the others left Wuvulu Island, Manus, on July 13 at around 2.30pm in a dinghy and were headed for Wewak in East Sepik, a six-hour trip.
But their outboard motor developed engine problems and they drifted into Indonesian waters for days before being rescued by fishermen.