French 'Spiderman' who climbed Malaysian tower fined

Pakistan News.Net
Thursday 3rd September, 2009 (IANS)

Third time lucky in climbing Malaysia's tallest tower, French 'Spiderman' Alain Robert has escaped going to jail but has paid $565 as fine.

After spending a night in the police lock-up, he was brought in handcuffs to a court here where the government lawyers demanded maximum punishment for his act of scaling Tower Two of the Petronas Twin Towers.

The 47-year-old Frenchman paid the fine and assured that he would not make another attempt in Malaysia.

Robert told reporters later that he was next planning to scale the Science Centre in Dubai.

He pleaded guilty immediately after the charge was read, New Straits Times said Thursday.

Robert, a climber and a motivational speaker from Pezenas, south of France, is 60 percent disabled following numerous falls in his previous climbs.

The court was told that Robert did not do it for publicity or profit, but purely out of passion for climbing, and that the Frenchman had also climbed for charity.

Magistrate Siti Shakirah Mohtarudin ruled that since it was a first offence, there would not be a custodial sentence.

Outside court, Robert, clad in a green jacket, blue jeans and beige boots, took time to pose for photographers.

Asked why he attempted the climb, he said: 'Climbing is my passion, climbing is my life.'

Robert caused red faces among security personnel at the Twin Towers when he gave guards the slip and began his climb about 6 a.m.

He reached the pinnacle of Tower Two less than two hours later and posed for photographs in the rain and driving wind.

On his way down, however, he knocked on a window on the 88th floor and asked to be allowed in as he was overcome by the cold. He was brought into the building after he reached an observation platform on his way down.

This was Robert's third attempt at scaling the Twin Towers. His earlier attempts in 1997 and 2007 ended on the 60th floor when he was spotted and stopped by security personnel.

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