The Age (Melbourne)
May 28, 2003 Wednesday
Dili Case Exposes Jitters Among Foreign Investors
BYLINE: Jill Jolliffe
BODY: Dili
-- A court case in which a bodyguard of East Timorese Prime
Minister Mari Alkatiri is said to have kicked a Chinese-Malaysian
businessman, calling him a monkey, is being closely watched by foreign
investors.
Wong Kee
Jin testified in a Dili court on Monday that the incident occurred
in the presence of Mr Alkatiri, who then had him arrested without a warrant.
The Government
denies the allegations, but the case has gripped the nation.
Mr Wong is claiming wrongful arrest and opposition parties have raised
the
case in Parliament. A verdict will be handed down tomorrow.
Mr Wong's
Singapore-based WGS Metal Enterprise company was granted a UN
franchise in 2001 to collect its metal and plastic waste until September
2003.
He alleged
that two men came to his scrapyard on April 19 in a car without
a number plate. They refused to show identification, but one said he was
a
Government minister. An argument followed, during which the same man,
Deputy Commerce Minister Arlindo Rangel, phoned Mr Alkatiri, who arrived
with his bodyguards and allegedly said: "Don't you know who I am?
I'm the
Prime Minister and can have you expelled".
Australian
hotelier Danny Lee witnessed the scene and told the court that a
bodyguard kicked Mr Wong, shouting "stand up straight, monkey, and
show
respect for my boss, monkey".
Mr Alkatiri
then called police to arrest Mr Wong, who said he was roughly
handled and handcuffed. A UN police officer intervened at Dili police
station, freeing him for lack of evidence. The Government has since closed
his business.
In an interview
with The Age, Mr Rangel contested Mr Wong's testimony. "It
was the other way round," he said. "He was very aggressive."
The incident
came as foreign investors are experiencing increased
difficulties with the Government. Mr Lee said he was thinking of closing
his hotel. "We feel very insecure", he said.