Gason lawyer critical of Govt inaction

Press, 27 June 1989, Page 8

Gason lawyer critical of Govt inaction

By

CULLEN SMITH

The lawyer acting for Mr Vince Gason, the Christchurch businessman detained in Somalia, has appealed to the Prime Minister, Mr Lange, for direct Government action.

Mr Paul Rutledge, of Christchurch, said last evening Mr Gason had been held in Somalia for almost five months without any charges being laid against him after a joint fishing venture went sour.

“If that is the standard of law that applies in Somalia, our Government has been quick to criticise other governments for conduct falling below the standard they expect. They’ve got to do something about it,” he said last evening. “As at today’s date, nobody, including

this Government or Mr Gason, knows what he’s charged with. That’s simply unacceptable.”

Mr Rutledge wrote to Mr Lange yesterday urging some diplomatic moves at high level. He said he took the Prime Minister to task for reported comments that Mr Gason was being held on a similar procedural matter as would be the case in New Zealand.

“With the greatest respect to the Prime Minister, that seems to be nonsense,” Mr Rutledge said. Having spoken with Mr Gason since his release from nine days imprisonment at the week-end, Mr Rutledge said he detected a sense of desperation' on his client’s part. “He is considerably more worried than he has been in the past. He is very

scared about what is happening. “I think the guy is getting pretty desperate. He is trying to find any way out of this thing. But he’s just totally impotent. What can he possibly do?” he said.

“If the man is in effect being held hostage over somebody else’s civil dispute, then really it comes back to a governmental and diplomatic issue.” Mr Rutledge said it now seemed unlikely Mr Gason’s Australian partner in the failed fishing venture, Mr John Woods, or the Somalian principal, Mr, Abdi Ali Hussein, could settle their financial differences.

Mr Abdi was claiming between $U5230,000 and SUS3OO,OOO ($400,000 and $500,000) plus half the value of a

joint prawn catch which left Somalian waters aboard the joint venture’s two Australian trawlers and formed the basis for Mr Gason’s detention.

Mr Rutledge said it was now clear Mr Abdi had initiated moves to hold Mr Gason and have his passport confiscated. The New Zealand Government had an obligation to step in with some direct representation to the Somali authorities, he said. If the Government refused, Mr Rutledge said he would have to approach other agencies, such as Amnesty international.

“The longer this thing goes on, the more complicated things get and the worse Mr Gason’s position becomes. “He’s been released on bail, but neither Mrs (Ann) Gason nor I see that as a very positive move,” he said.