Windhoek — THE fear-stricken Chinese community in Namibia is demanding that their fellow countryman, Yu Jin, who is accused of committing various crimes in Namibia, be deported back to China. The alleged criminal mastermind is presently languishing in police custody.

Yu Jin stands accused of two counts of fraud, two counts of dealing in dange-rous dependence producing drugs, and contravening the Customs and Exercise Act 20 of 1998 and the Merchandise Act 17 of 1941.

Yu Jin is charged along-side Zhang Fu Wang while a certain Cui Cui is exempted on one count of fraud, and dealing in heroin. His bail application hearing is being heard before Magistrate Maria Mahali.

A petition signed by mem-bers of the Chinese commu-nity in Namibia said Yu Jin and his group are very dan-gerous and that if they are granted bail, they may kill and maim innocent people.

"Us Chinese and other Namibian citizens are de-manding for the gang to be deported to China," reads the petition.

The Chinese community, according to an insider, is an organised group, whose members stick to one another just like the Mafia.

The petition further alleges that Yu Jin has enough money and that he is able to enlist the best legal mind money can buy and end up winning the case like he has done on many other occasions.

Although Yu Jin is a cripple in a wheel- chair, the petition said he is a very in-telligent man who uses his disability to get away with the alleged crimes.

The community further said if Yu Jin stays in Nami-bia, many foreigners who want to commit crime would do so and get away with it, following the example set by members of the so-called Chinese Mafia.

But contacted for com-ment, the Ministry of Home Affairs said the ministry only deals with the Immigration Control Act when it comes to deportation issues.

Mikka Asino, the spokes-person at the ministry, said yesterday that being found guilty by a court of law is a different matter altogether.

However, if a foreigner is found guilty, in most cases a decision has to be made to declare the person an unde-sirable element and the person may face the prospect of being deported.

In this case, normal proce-dures would have to be fol-lowed. Asino added that his ministry wanted to deal with business people and did not condone criminal activities.

He said if there were evidence that the accused is really guilty of the accusations, certain actions would have to be taken.

The Chinese community further said if the accused re-mains in custody or is released, charges would be piling against him and he would always find excuses.

"We urge you to get rid of this and deport him without hesitating," said the petition, adding: "We plead with in the interest of the future of the Chinese investment in Namibia and for the sake of law-abiding citizens, that the State does not compromise on any request for bail and that Mr Yu Jin and his group be deported to China without delay."

They said other grounds on which the community based the deportation request were that Yu Jin and his group were giving a bad name to Chinese people who stay or visit Nami-bia, that his behaviour is a dis-incentive for prospective Chi-nese investors and that none of Yu Jin's group have invested money in the country.

It, however, emerged in court yesterday at the bail application hearing that Yu Jin has vegetable farms at Gorean-gab Dam in Windhoek, Okahao in the north and in Rehoboth. He also has a fast-food outlet in the Northern Industrial Area and a cookie factory at the Oku-ryangava Disability Resource Centre in Windhoek, which is meant to benefit the disabled.

The defence counsel in the case, Andre Louw, said his client is being victimised and the court needs to take cautio-nary measures in the bail application.

Louw accused some investi-gating officers and a certain lady, in an apparent reference to Lian Ying Ma, of victimising the accused. Ma accuses Yu Jin of assault through threat, a case in which he is on bail.

"They are fighting against each other and one puts the other in bad books with the Government," said Louw, add-ing that the police do not like him.

Yu Jin's bail application has dragged on due to lack of Chi-nese interpreters. Many inter-preters contacted last week were reluctant to get involved because they were allegedly threatened.

Louw said yesterday: "The lady threatens people and they can't interpret for him (Yu Jin)." The bail application hearing continues at the Wind-hoek Regional Court today.