Indonesia to repatriate Mary Jane Veloso on Wednesday

JAKARTA, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Indonesia will transfer Mary Jane Veloso, a Philippine woman sentenced to death in 2010 for drug trafficking, to her home country in the early hours of Wednesday, a senior Indonesian official said.

Jakarta agreed last month to repatriate Veloso, a former domestic helper and mother of two, who was arrested in Yogyakarta 14 years ago after being found with 2.6 kg (5.73 lb) of heroin concealed in a suitcase.

Veloso's case caused a domestic outcry in the Philippines. She received a last-minute reprieve from execution in 2015 after the late former President Benigno Aquino appealed to the Indonesian government, arguing she could be a vital witness in prosecuting drug syndicates.

World boxing icon Manny Pacquiao had also campaigned for her to be spared the death penalty.