Foreign Minister comforts family of Richard Lau who is detained in Dubai that advisors, counsellors from the ministry will visit him and take up his case

Eileen Lau, the elder sister of businessman Richard Lau who has been put behind bars in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the past nine months without charge, thanks Foreign Minister Dato Sri Anifah Aman for his assurance that he will look into the matter.

Anifah said he would communicate with his counterpart in the UAE, and assured the Lau family that advisors and counsellors from the Malaysian Embassy in Dubai would be visiting Richard.

Eileen said a local minister would join Anifah in his efforts to get to the bottom of things.

She said Richard has engaged a lawyer in Dubai but she also hoped lawyers in Malaysia would be willing to take up the case or to become his watching brief.

“Nine months is a long time to be detained without being charged. The wait has been an absolute nightmare for us. Even talking to you now I am crying.

“We really hope that he can be back for Chinese New Year reunion dinner with my parents. Our hearts break every time his detention is renewed.

“We are really grateful for the minister’s (Anifah) assurance. His assurance means a lot to us. We really hope that with his (Anifah) involvement, Richard may finally be released at his next meeting with the judge to review his detention order,” she said.

Eileen said she was very close with her brother. They studied together for several years in New Zealand.

Richard was detained after his Emirati partner accused him of stealing wages and commissions.

He was among eight people accused by Emirati Walid Jumaa Abu Shabas for allegedly stealing funds from a subsidiary of Malaysian marine transport company Shin Yang in Ras Al Khaimah, its UAE counterpart. Abu Shabas claimed that a large amount of money had been paid by the company to Richard and seven other individuals.

A UK-based civil rights group, made a counter claim, saying the money was not secret payment but was in fact their additional wages and commissions for carrying out the instructions of Shin Yang executive director Kenny Ling.

It is understood that Richard was arrested in April 2017 and his detention has been extended every fortnight despite the lack of evidence of wrongdoing as the UAE public prosecutor requests more time to investigate the allegation.

According to the UAE government website, a public prosecutor can only question a suspect within 24 hours and then either order his arrest or release. All the others except Richard have been released.

Source:
courtesy of THE BORNEO POST

by Churchill Edward

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