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Manhunt as FIFA partner flees Rio hotel to avoid arrest - The Borneo <b>...</b> Berita Sarawak - News 2 Sarawak

Manhunt as FIFA partner flees Rio hotel to avoid arrest - The Borneo <b>...</b>

Posted: 10 Jul 2014 10:34 PM PDT

Brazilian police launched a manhunt on Thursday for an executive of a FIFA partner company handling World Cup ticket packages after he escaped from his Rio de Janeiro hotel to avoid arrest on charges of illegally selling tickets, authorities said.

Raymond Whelan, the British CEO of Match Hospitality, a Swiss-based subsidiary company of FIFA in charge of World Cup ticket packages, allegedly fled the beachfront Copacabana Palace Hotel after a judge ordered him and 10 other suspects to be held in detention. He is accused of leading a network that illegally sold game passes.

"The Englishman fled through the hotel's back door and is considered a fugitive," Rio police said in a statement, just three days before the Germany-Argentina final at Rio's Maracana Stadium.

"We saw him in [security] footage leaving in a hurry," Fabio Barucke, the case's lead investigator, told reporters, adding that Whelan had fled an hour before police arrived.

Brazilian TV showed footage of Whelan, wearing a blue shirt, walking with another man who points to him to sit on a chair near the service exit before he left the hotel, which is heavily guarded and houses top FIFA officials.

Whelan is accused of being involved with a scalping network that has sold thousands of tickets worth millions of dollars, going back to the 2002 World Cup.

Whelan, who denies the charges, was initially arrested at the same hotel on Monday but was granted preventive release the next day. His passport was seized by the authorities.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

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Central <b>Sarawak</b> not swarmed with community leaders — Wong <b>...</b>

Posted: 05 Jul 2014 11:25 AM PDT

SIBU: Central Sarawak is not swarmed with community leaders.

Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh said this on Thursday after 59 new kapitans received their appointment letters on Thursday.

Reporters had asked him about the appointment of kapitans in such a big number.

Wong, who is also the Second Finance Minister and Minister of Local Government and Community Development, said many of the kapitans were being appointed to replace the existing ones who had passed the mandatory age of service at 70 set  by the government.

He said many of them had passed the age limit but the government had retained them due to their good service.

"Of the 59, 20 were appointed to replace aging kapitans. This included the replacement of three who have died and another three who are occupied with personal matters," Wong said.

He said another two kapitans were reappointed because their service had been extended, adding that of the 22 aging kapitans, 11 were between 71 and 74, eight were 75 to 79 and three were above 80.

Wong called on the people to work with the newly appointed kapitans towards community building.

He said these leaders would act as bridge between the people and the government to help build Sarawak.

For the remainder, he said they were being appointed as longhouse chieftains.

Wong thanked the community leaders who were stepping down for their dedicated service.

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PAS launches &#39;Untukmu <b>Sarawak</b>&#39; to woo Sarawakians - The Borneo <b>...</b>

Posted: 26 May 2014 12:25 PM PDT

KUCHING: PAS launched their 'Untukmu Sarawak' campaign on Sunday in a bid to woo the support of Sarawakians, whom they claimed were being sidelined by the government.

PAS Youth chief Suhaizan Kaiat said Sarawak was a land of many opportunities, but claimed these opportunities were monopolised by cronies. This, he claimed, had caused many Sarawakians to back slide in terms of their socio-economy due to the slow pace of physical development.

"Sarawak is ranked third in the country with the most people living under the poverty level. This is mind boggling as the state is the second richest in Malaysia," said Suhaizan at the launch, which was held at a cafe in Satok.

Speaking to a handful of PAS members, he also said poor financial management had contributed to the slow pace of developments in the state, especially in the rural areas.

During his recent visit to Miri, he noted that a few villages had been squatting on state land for generations, and these lands ought to be given to them.

"Sarawak's topography is very huge. I believe it would not be a problem for the state government if a small piece of state land is given to the villagers for them to settle down for good."

Also speaking was PAS Sarawak Youth chief Arifiriazul Paijo, who said that the campaign was an initiative to show what PAS could do for Sarawakians.

The campaign, which has made stops in Miri, Bintulu and Kota Samarahan, also involved several PAS members carrying out mini construction projects to ease the plight of the people.

Among these projects, he said, were the construction of a 20 metre pathway in Kampung Hulu Beting Maro, fixing the roof of several village houses in Senadin, renovating a home in Kampung Sinjan, Petra Jaya, and construction of a bridge, which links the main road to a surau in Kampung Plaie, Kota Samarahan.

"All of these projects would not be possible without our Youth members, who have shown synergy and commitment."

He claimed that a lot of villages in the state had no access to clean water and electricity even though the state government was given a financial surplus boost of RM300 million during the last budget announcement.

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