Body found near site of Chinese tycoon’s chopper crash in France

Body found near site of Chinese tycoon’s chopper crash in France

Body found near site of Chinese tycoon’s chopper crash in France

Posted: 11 Jan 2014 05:21 PM PST

FRANCE: French police said a body was discovered Saturday near the site of a helicopter crash that is thought to have killed a Chinese tycoon and a French winemaker, whose remains were never found.

The body was found on the banks of the Dordogne river in southwest France, some 10 kilometres (six miles) from the spot where the helicopter crashed into the river in December carrying four people.

A paramilitary police source said the body was "unrecognisable" but that it had not been ruled out that it could be one of the missing victims of the crash.

Search efforts have been ongoing to find the remains of Lam Kok, a 46-year-old Chinese tea-and-property magnate, his interpreter and financial advisor Peng Wang, and James Gregoire, a French entrepreneur and the pilot of the helicopter.

The crash occurred while they had been on a celebratory aerial tour of a chateau estate that the Chinese businessman had just bought from Gregoire.

The Chinese magnate and his wife bought the Chateau de la Riviere and its 65 hectares (160 acres) of vineyards for a reported 30 million euros ($41 million) with the aim of turning it into an elite tea- and wine-tasting retreat.

The wreckage of the Robinson R44 helicopter, which is used by the police and army in several countries, was located a few days after the crash in seven metres (23 feet) of water.

Only the body of Lam Kok's 12-year-old son Shun Yu Kok was found, inside the wrecked helicopter.

Gregoire himself had bought the property in 2003 — a year after the previous owner died in a plane crash.

Wealthy Chinese have developed a taste for fine French wines, and their buying power has been credited with pushing prices for certain vintages to record levels.

In recent years they have increasingly taken to buying French vineyards as well. -AFP

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French ‘anti-Semitic’ comic drops controversial show

Posted: 11 Jan 2014 04:12 PM PST

FRANCE: French comedian Dieudonne sought Saturday to circumvent a ban imposed on his controversial show over its "anti-Semitic" slant, replacing it with a new performance complete with "a few tai-chi moves".

Earlier in the day he had announced his intention to go ahead with four performances in Paris, despite the Friday-to-Wednesday ban on the show titled "The Wall".

Dieudonne M'Bala M'Bala will instead present an alternate performance called "Asu Zoa" on a "different theme", his lawyer Jacques Verdier told AFP, noting that the ban was specifically on "The Wall" and not the new show.

The comedian had also cancelled a scheduled show in the central French city of Orleans after losing a legal challenge to get the ban lifted, Verdier said.

Outside the Main d'Or theatre in Paris, the police decree was pasted on the door, and a handwritten poster beside it announced Dieudonne's "new show".

It will include dance, music, mime "and a few tai-chi moves", the 47-year-old Dieudonne said on his Facebook page, adding that he had written the show in three nights.

The French government branded the comic a "peddlar of hate" for his diatribes against Jews.

The comedian earlier was defiant, calling on his supporters in a video to buy DVDs of his show "in massive numbers".

"The more of you there is, the more I can continue this fight," he said, adding that French Interior Minister Manuel "Valls has declared war against me".

Preview performances of his "The Wall" tour in Paris included a sketch in which the comedian mimed urinating against a wall. He then reveals that it was the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem.

Amid the legal tussles over the show, Dieudonne announced in the same video that he has come up with "Asu Zoa".

Dieudonne's supporters, and even some who reject his brand of humour but defend his right to express himself, have displayed concern over the clampdown, saying that is a troubling breach of freedom of speech.

But French government lawyers argue that the comedian's act is fundamentally racist and thus cannot be afforded protection under France's constitutional provisions on freedom of speech.

Valls vowed on Saturday that he would "never allow words that divide the French".

Dieudonne has been fined several times for defamation, using insulting language, hate speech and racial discrimination.

But the comedian argues that the horrors of the Holocaust are given too much focus to the exclusion of other crimes, like slavery and racism, and says his so-called "quenelle" gesture merely represents his anti-establishment views.

He has directed volleys of abuse at prominent French Jewish performers, rounding off one rant about radio presenter Patrick Cohen with the observation: "Gas chambers … a shame."

Dieudonne has also been slammed for his trademark "quenelle" stiff-arm gesture, which has been described as a disguised Nazi salute.

The gesture, which Dieudonne insists is purely an "up yours" to the French establishment, has taken on a life of its own.

Some people have been caught on camera doing the quenelle at Auschwitz or outside synagogues in France.

On Saturday afternoon, a handful of Dieudonne's supporters gathered on Faubourg-Saint-Antoine street in central Paris chanting "Dieudo, Dieudo". A woman aged about 60 joined in the demonstration, crying "Long live the Jewish dictatorship!".

Dieudonne started his career as part of a double act with a Jewish childhood friend, Elie Semoun.

But he veered towards anti-Semitism and the change burst into the open in 2003, when he concluded a televised sketch for which he had dressed up as an extremist Jew with a Nazi salute. -AFP

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Civil servant nabbed for homemade shotguns

Posted: 11 Jan 2014 12:15 PM PST

MIRI: Police arrested a civil servant on Friday for being in possession of an assortment of homemade shotguns and ammunition of ball bearings.

Following a tip-off, the 56-year-old man was apprehended at his house in Bukit Bom, Niah, around 5pm in a joint operation by Miri police and personnel from the D9 (Serious Crimes) division of the state police contingent headquarters in Kuching.

"The case is being investigated under Section 8(a) of the Firearms Act 1960," Miri police chief ACP Mun Kock Keong said when contacted yesterday.

Two samurai swords were also seized.

Police are still trying to establish the suspect's motive for possessing the weapons.

Meanwhile, the same team later apprehended four men — one an Indonesian with no passport — for their involvement in the illegal gambling game Holo at Niah Bazaar.

The suspects aged 35 to 43 have been detained at the Miri Central police station. Police also seized RM78, which is believed to have been used for gambling.

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Man arrested for allegedly firing pistol

Posted: 11 Jan 2014 12:12 PM PST

Posted on January 12, 2014, Sunday

KUCHING: Police arrested a man for allegedly firing a shot in the air with a pistol at Kampung Gita on Friday.

In the 3pm incident, the man from the village was said to have been angry at two teenage girls.

The man in his 40s allegedly fired the shot to scare the girls after they ignored him.

Worried for their safety, the girls quickly fled the scene on a motorcycle and complained to their family members.

Police found a homemade pistol at his house along with pellets believed to be the ammunition.

The suspect was brought to the Simpang Tiga police station for further investigation.

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Snatch thieves on the prowl in Sibu

Posted: 11 Jan 2014 12:12 PM PST

SIBU: Two snatch thefts occurred here within a span of 14 hours since Friday.

In the first case that happened at about 9pm on Friday, a teenage girl fell victim to two snatch thieves while she was riding a motorcycle towards her house in Salim.

When the 16-year-old victim reached Bukit Lima, the snatch thieves on a motorcycle struck.

The pillion rider snatched her handbag that was placed on the basket of her motorcycle and they sped off.

The victim's father accompanied her to lodge a police report.

In the second case, a man was snatched of his gold necklace when he was about to get into his car.

Before the incident happened at about 11am yesterday at Chew Siik Hiong Road, the 39-year-old victim was walking towards his car with another man.

When they reached the car, two men on a motorcycle came along, snatched the victim's necklace and sped off.

Remains of the necklace, including a pendant, dropped onto the ground.

Initial police investigation showed the suspects had used fake plate registration.

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Shootings rock KK

Posted: 11 Jan 2014 12:11 PM PST

by Elton Gomes. Posted on January 12, 2014, Sunday

KOTA KINABALU: A group of mischievous teenagers caused unnecessary panic when they went on a shooting spree around the state capital and damaged 31 premises with air guns loaded with marbles early yesterday morning.

The group, police believed comprised of more than six youths, drove around the state capital in three vehicles shooting at premises along their way with the air guns around the city centre, Inanam, Luyang and Penampang between 11.45pm on Friday and 6am yesterday.

Among the premises hit were banks, hotels, beauty salons, restaurants, offices, a petrol station and shopping mall with losses amounting to thousands of ringgit.

No unwanted incident or casualty was reported in the one-hour shooting spree, which also caused massive panic in social media such as Facebook and WhatsApp.

Many shops and business premises were reported to have closed early yesterday following the incident.

City police chief ACP Jauteh Dikun said glass doors and windows of 25 premises around the city centre, Inanam and Luyang were damaged.

He said based on initial police investigation, it was believed the act was carried out simultaneously by more than six youths in three groups.

"Early investigations at some of the scenes found marbles and police believed the group used three air guns loaded with marbles as bullets.

"No casualty was reported in any of the incidents and police are working round the clock to identify the suspects," he said at a press conference at the city police headquarters in Karamunsing here yesterday.

He said 13 of the affected premises were located in the city centre, nine in Luyang and three in Inanam.

Among the 13 premises in the city centre are Agro Bank, Standard Chartered Bank and Maxis outlet in Warisan Square, Malar Hotel in Karamunsing, Ambank in Damai, Pizza Hut in Damai, Peral Karaoke in Damai and Public Bank and CIMB Bank in Inanam.

Elaborating further, Jauteh said police believed the culprits were split into three smaller groups to carry out the vandalism.

"Investigation is still being carried out to identify the suspects but based on several close circuit television (CCTV) footages, the groups were using two four-wheel-drive vehicles and a car," he said.

Meanwhile, Jauteh said the incident was not linked to Sulu armed groups or the ongoing Lahad Datu intrusion trial.

"This act is performed by a group of irresponsible teenagers solely intended to seek attention and cause anxiety to the public.

"I therefore urge the public not to panic following the incident and do not spread any rumors without first checking with the police," he said, adding that over 20 police reports had been lodged at the city police headquarters following the incident.

He also urged anyone with information to contact the city police hotline at 088-221 191.

The case is being investigated under Section 427 of the Penal Code for committing mischief and thereby causing damage.

Meanwhile, six premises in Penampang were also damaged in the shooting spree.

Penampang police chief DSP Ratan Kumar Singh, when contacted yesterday, said among the affected areas were Dongonggon, Beverly Hills and Bundusan.

He said the incident happened between 4am and 6am yesterday, which destroyed glass doors and windows of six premises, namely two banks, a car showroom, a petrol station, a restaurant and a shopping mall.

Ratan said police were still investigating the motive of the incident and believed the same group of people was also involved in a similar incident earlier in the state capital.

"I urge the public not to panic and to contact the Penampang police hotline at 088-712 222 if they have any information relating to this case," he said.

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