COHEN DENIED AUST VISA FOR BOOK TOUR

WELLINGTON -- Australian immigration officials have refused Aaron
Cohen a visa, forcing him to cancel a visit to promote his book.

Cohen, who was caned and spent 11 years in a Malaysian jail for heroin
possession, wanted to spend five days in Australia promoting Arrested
Development, his life story.

Three days before he was due there, the Australian Consulate General
in Auckland told him his temporary business visa application had been
refused.

A six-page consulate decision dated April 14 and signed by delegated
decision maker Elizabeth Hoffmann ends bluntly.

"Mr Cohen does not pass the character test and is refused the grant of
a visa."

Refusal was based on Cohen's "substantial criminal record", the
consulate said.

That record, based on information supplied by New Zealand police, was
"trafficking dangerous drugs" in 1987, and sentence on four cannabis
charges on March 1 this year.

Under Australia's Migration Act 1958, a sentence of life imprisonment
constitutes a substantial criminal record.

Arrested Development author Paul Little said Cohen had in fact been
convicted of heroin possession, not trafficking.

"It's simply sad that after 11 years (in jail) and a caning for his
one previous conviction, and three years of being extremely straight
and low key, that one very minor conviction has been able to prevent
him going to the country where he grew up to set the record straight
about his life," Little said.

In March, Cohen escaped penalty on drugs charges when he pleaded
guilty to possessing cannabis, cultivating cannabis, possessing a
pipe, and possessing an utensil. He was convicted on the charges and
ordered to come up for sentence within six months if called.

On another charge of possessing a controlled drug he was remanded
without plea.

On two further charges of presenting a pistol at police he was
remanded for a defended hearing.

He was to reappear at the Waitakere District Court on May
22.

Judge Jim O'Donovan told Cohen if he did not appear on any other
cannabis offences, the charges to which he had pleaded guilty would go
no further.

At 18, Cohen, with his mother, Lorraine, was arrested in Malaysia on
drug charges. He was sentenced to life in Penang Prison.

Lorraine Cohen was sentenced to death. She later had her sentence
commuted to life in prison.

In 1996 they were released and sent back to New Zealand. Cohen now
lives in West Auckland.

Saying he was sick of the lies spread about his life, Cohen
co-operated on Arrested Development to set the record straight.