'Yettaw handed over to US embassy officials'

Myanmar authorities on Sunday handed over jailed American John Yettaw to US embassy officials, ahead of his departure from the country with a US senator, a local official said.

Myanmar authorities on Sunday handed over jailed American John Yettaw to US embassy officials, ahead of his departure from the country with a US senator, a local official said.

HT Image

He would remain with the officials at Yangon's Insein prison -- where he was serving a seven-year sentence for swimming to the house of democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi -- until the flight, said the official.

"He was handed over to US embassy officials. He will stay at the prison and when the time comes he will be brought to the airport and will leave when (Senator) Jim Webb leaves," the official told AFP.

"His sentence has been reduced to three-and-a-half years and then made a suspended sentence. Then he will be deported," the official said.

Democrat senator Webb was due to give a press conference at Yangon international airport at 1:00 pm (0630 GMT) before flying to Bangkok with Yettaw on a military aircraft, his office said.