Mugabe's tycoon mate faces court

Nicholas van Hoogstraten, the British property tycoon who is close to Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe, was expected to appear before Harare magistrates late yesterday on charges of breaking foreign exchange laws and possessing pornographic pictures of himself having sex with a Zimbabwean woman.

Van Hoogstraten, 63, was arrested on Thursday night apparently after tenants who were evicted for failing to pay rent in advance in foreign currency, which is illegal under Zimbabwean law, complained to the police.

Officers searched his home and said they found the equivalent of about $49,500 in foreign currency, in breach of exchange laws, most of it in US dollars and South African rand, as well as 20bn Zimbabwe dollars, worth about $3370 on the black market.

They also found what they described as pornographic material of Van Hoogstraten having sex with a 22-year-old Zimbabwean. The woman is believed to be his receptionist.

Taylor a witness in arms deal trial

Former Liberian President Charles Taylor will testify in the appeals case of a Dutch businessman convicted in 2006 of arms smuggling to Liberia, a spokeswoman for the Dutch public prosecutor said yesterday.

Taylor, himself on trial in The Hague on war crimes charges relating to the conflict in Sierra Leone, will give evidence on February 8 to a judge investigating the case of Guus Kouwenhoven in a closed session, the spokeswoman added.

A Dutch court sentenced Kouwenhoven, a business associate of Taylor, to eight years in prison for arms smuggling but acquitted him of war crimes due to lack of evidence.

Both the prosecution and defence are appealing the ruling, with defence lawyers calling Taylor as a witness.

NZ PM earns environment award

Prime Minister Helen Clark was honored by the United Nations yesterday with a 2008 Champions of the Earth award for her government's policies combating climate change.

"By setting carbon neutral goals for New Zealand, ... Clark has put her country at the forefront of today's environmental challenges," the UN Environment Program said in naming seven environmental achievers .

Among the six other winners are Prince Albert II of Monaco, a prominent voice on environment issues and sustainable development since the early 1990s and former US Senator Timothy E. Wirth, a strong advocate of issues ranging from biodiversity to climate change and all kinds of renewable energy.

The UNEP said Clark's policies introducing an emissions trading scheme, an energy policy that will sharply reduce dependence on carbon fuels, and a national energy efficiency and conservation strategy "are also blazing new trails for sustainability and the fight against climate change."

Agencies

(China Daily 01/29/2008 )