DAUH PURI ~ Sugiura Mamoru, 56, a Japanese man, was sentenced to eight months in prison this week for violating immigration regulations, officials said.

“I will accept any punishment I should bear. I realize that I am guilty. I’m ready to be punished,” Mamoru said at the Denpasar District Court.

The sentence was lighter than the 12 months’ jail prosecutor Agung Kusumayasa Diputra had requested.

The defendant had violated article 52, Regulation No. 9, 1992, Diputra said.

Mamoru had overstayed his visa, which had expired on October 12, 2000, the prosecutor added.