DRUG-CHARGE REPORTER RETURNS TO WORK FOR ABC

By Neville D'cruz

MELBOURNE, April 12 (Bernama) -- Former foreign correspondent Peter Lloyd
will resume work as a journalist at the ABC this week, almost two years after he
was arrested and jailed in Singapore for drug offences, The Australian newspaper
reports.

The former Southeast Asia correspondent was arrested while on leave in
Singapore in July 2008 and charged with five offences, including trafficking and
possession of methamphetamine.

He faced 20 years' jail and 15 lashes of the cane, but Singaporean
authorities dropped the trafficking charge when Lloyd agreed to plead guilty to
the lesser offences of consuming an illegal drug and possessing drug utilities.

The father of two served 10 months in prison before being released early for
good behaviour last June.

Lloyd will work on the ABC News programme "Lateline" as a senior producer,
an off-air role.

"I am pleased to let you know that Peter Lloyd will be back on deck with
ABC
News in Ultimo from next week," ABC news director Kate Torney said in an
internal note.

"After a few days of training on our new newsroom systems, Peter will be
working as a senior journalist with Lateline.

"With strong journalistic skills and experience, Peter is a valuable
addition to the ABC News team and I welcome his return."

The Singapore court had been told the experienced journalist, who joined the
ABC in 1988, turned to drugs as a result of post-traumatic stress disorder
stemming from covering disasters such as the Boxing Day tsunami and the Bali
bombings.

The ABC terminated his employment on the grounds he was unavailable for work
but indicated he could reapply for a job when he came home.

-- BERNAMA



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