DRUG INMATE SKIPS OUT

'Pegger Was In Greek Prison For Carrying Cocaine

A Winnipeg man serving a life sentence for a drug trafficking offence
in Greece has gone missing while on supervised leave.

Kevin Hiebert reportedly did not return to a Greek prison following
his jail leave earlier this month.

"No one knows where he is ... we just hope he's going to be OK," said
Hiebert's cousin Cam Patterson.

In 1999, Hiebert was arrested and charged for having two kg of cocaine
in his luggage at an airport in Athens.

"There's no undermining it's a stupid thing to do and he was the first
one to say so," said Patterson.

Hiebert, a first-time offender, was given a "life sentence" of 16
years in a Greek prison. He has tried multiple times to be transferred
so he can serve the rest of his prison term in Canada, said Patterson.

Hiebert's attempts have proved fruitless and Canada's federal
government has not yet responded to his most recent request made more
than a year ago, said Patterson.

"He's paid way beyond what he should," said Patterson, who said he
last spoke with his cousin about a month ago. "He's always been pretty
positive about this and diligent about trying for transfers."

REVOLTS, OVERCROWDING

Hiebert's father went to visit his son in Greece a few weeks ago,
signing him out for a temporary leave. After the visit, his father
returned to North America but Hiebert did not return to the Greek
prison on the designated date a day or two later. Relatives learned of
Hiebert's absence from officials.

"Everyone was pretty upset," said Patterson.

Prison conditions, revolts and overcrowding were a concern at the
facility Hiebert was housed in, but Patterson said his cousin was in
good spirits with more attention being paid to his case and the
possibility of a television feature on his imprisonment.

"He had been talking positively about the future," said Patterson.