10 theSun | TUESDAY JUNE 23 2009

news without borders

Australia police say ‘Utegate’ e-mail is fake

SYDNEY: Australian police yester-
day said the e-mail at the centre of
the “Utegate” scandal was a fake,
blowing a hole in opposition calls
for Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to
resign. The apparent forgery was
revealed after a police raid on the
home of Godwin Grech, a senior
treasury official whose testimony to
a senate inquiry sparked the row.
“Preliminary results of those
forensic examinations indicate that
the e-mail referred to at the centre
of this investigation has been cre-
ated by a person or persons other
than the purported author of the
e-mail,” a police statement said.
The announcement capped a
day of high political drama with
Rudd, Treasurer Wayne Swan and
opposition leader Malcolm Turnbull,
whose jobs were all on the line,
embroiled in furious exchanges in
parliament.
Turnbull’s argument now appears
seriously weakened after he spent
days calling for Rudd’s job, basing
claims that he misled parliament on
the discredited e-mail.
The note, supposedly sent by
Rudd’s economic adviser and pub-
lished by weekend newspapers here,
had appeared to back up allegations
that the prime minister helped a
car-dealer friend seek government
funds.
But Rudd dismissed the corre-
spondence as “false, fictitious and a
forgery” and turned the attack on the
opposition, describing the events as
the “sordid Turnbull e-mail forgery
affair.”
“This fraudulent e-mail was the
rock on which the leader of the oppo-
sition has constructed his case against
me and the Treasurer,” Rudd said.
“This rock has now disintegrated
into sand.”
Swan also accused Turnbull of
“grubby opportunism.”
“He must pledge today to make
available all of the resources used by
the opposition for a police inquiry,
because it is clear the grubby oppor-
tunism of the leader of the opposition
knows no bounds,” he said.
As the politicians argued in parlia-
ment, police searched Grech’s home
with the help of IT experts, later an-
nouncing that the e-mail in question
appeared fake. Grech on Friday told
a senate inquiry that he believed Rudd
and Swan had weighed in on behalf of
car-dealer John Grant, who was seek-
ing access to government funds.
He admitted that he had no proof
of intervention by either man’s offices.
But on Saturday, media published a
transcript of the e-mail supposedly
sent by Rudd’s economics adviser
Andrew Charlton.
“Hi Godwin, the PM has asked
if the car dealer financing vehicle
is available to assist a Queensland
dealership, John Grant Motors, who
seems to be having trouble getting
finance,” the transcript said.
“If you can follow up on this asap
that would be very useful. Happy to
discuss. A.” – AFP

Marry early, don’t wait briefs

for Mr or Miss Right! Plot to smuggle
SINGAPORE: At first, pear,” said Minister mobiles into prison
all mourners feel em- Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, SAO PAULO: Two Brazilian teenag-
barrassed. “I am not warning against a de- ers were arrested on the weekend
going to sing praises pendence on foreigners for allegedly plotting to smuggle
for my late husband,” a for raising the fertility cellphones into a prison using
widow said at a funeral. rate. a kite, reports said on Sunday.
“Instead, I want to talk “We’ve got to make According to police, the two
about some things that this breakthrough unidentified adolescents were ar-
will make some of you internally. If we don’t rested late on Saturday with two
feel a bit uncomfort- make the 2.1 popula- kites and mobile phones inside
able.” tion replacement ratio, a building in Tremembe, a town
Vividly she described we will always be outside Sao Paulo, the G1 news
the bodily functions of dependent,” the found- website reported. Police said the
her late husband, his ing father of modern two confessed to planning the
snoring and farting in Singapore said. operation, and said they were to
bed. His son, Prime Min- have received US$175 (RM612)
“And what I wouldn’t Yasmin Ahmad ister Lee Hsien Loong, through an ex-girlfriend of a pris-
give just to hear these uses every opportunity oner.– AFP
sounds again before I to stress the significance
sleep,” the widow continued. of starting a family, even more so Seven hurt as
“In the end it is these small things now as Singapore is facing its worst
that you remember, the little imper- recession in three decades amid the turbulence hits plane
fections that make them perfect for global economic downturn. SYDNEY: Seven people were
you,” she said completing her eulogy, “The family is our most important hurt when a Qantas Airbus A330
thus changing the audience’s mood life-raft in times of crisis,” Lee said hit severe turbulence flying from
from embarrassment to sympathy. in his New Year’s message. “Even in Hongkong to Perth, the company
In its efforts to counter the demo- hard times, we should not neglect the said Monday, dismissing links to
graphic challenges of low fertility and need to bring up a new generation.” other incidents involving the same
an ageing population, Singapore’s The government already started type of plane. Six passengers and
government leaves no stone unturned, some incentives to provide a more one crew member were treated
even using death to sell marriage. pro-family environment for its citi- on board after the mishap, which
The unconventional and taboo- zens. happened about four hours after
breaking ad set at a funeral, shot by In August 2008, it enhanced a take-off. The plane, with 206
Malaysian director Yasmin Ahmad marriage and parenthood package passengers and 13 crew, landed
and titled Beautifully imperfect, is bringing the total amount it spends safely. – AFP.
part of a campaign to make more to promote starting a family to S$1.6
Singaporeans tie the knot and have billion (RM3.8 billion) a year. Boss held after
children. The measures include longer ma-
Figures just released by the Na- ternity leave, more tax incentives for deadly China blast
tional Population Secretariat showed having children, increased subsidies BEIJING: Police have detained a
that Singapore’s birth rate dipped for childcare, and even subsidies for company boss for illegally storing
slightly to 1.28 children per woman assisted reproduction techniques. explosives that triggered a blast at a
in 2008, down from 1.29 a year earlier In addition, government agencies factory in eastern China leaving 16
and far below the replacement level provide internet platforms like www. people dead and 43 people injured,
of 2.1. lovebyte.org.sg which offer dating state media said. The explosion
With a total population of 4.84 mil- services and other help for singles occurred in Anhui province early
lion, the proportion of residents aged in order “to create awareness among on Sunday morning at the Jingxin
65 and above continued to increase you on the importance of marriage Mining company that produces
from 6.8% in 1988 to 8.7% in 2008. and family, and the need to start and processes quartz sand. Cao
The number of marriages went up early.” Peijun, the boss of the company,
to 21,042 in 2008, compared to 20,775 The latest government-run was found to be illegally storing up
a year ago. campaign, which was backed by to seven tonnes of explosives in an
“But the trend of Singaporeans not Yasmin Ahmad’s three-minute TV office building, the official Xinhua
marrying or marrying later continues ad, rewarded 10 young dating couples news agency reported. – AFP
to persist,” the secretariat said. with S$400 each for being “beautifully
In 2008, general marriage rates imperfect” pairs. Rethink celibacy,
were 44 married males per 1,000 The Ministry of Community De-
unmarried male residents and 42 velopment started the contest on the urges ex-bishop
married females per 1,000 unmarried internet social network Facebook and SANTIAGO:Paraguayan President
female residents, down from 49.7 and attracted more than 350 couples who Fernando Lugo, a former bishop
49.4, respectively, a decade ago. uploaded their photos and described caught up in a sex scandal, called
The peak age group for men mar- their relationship, thus trying to pull on the Catholic Church to “rethink
rying went up from 25-29 years in in votes. celibacy” in an interview published
1990 and 2000 to 30-34 years in 2008. The campaign’s main message on Sunday. “I think that recent
As couples also have fewer children, was: Marry early, don’t wait for Mr events should lead the Catholic
Singapore leaders fear that the tiny is- or Miss Right! Church to reflect on the value of
land-state might shrink into oblivion. “The person who is not perfect as celibacy inside the church,” Lugo
“Without new citizens and perma- defined by the world around us may told Chilean daily newspaper El
nent residents, we are going to be the turn out to be the perfect husband or Mercurio. – AFP
last of the Mohicans. We will disap- wife,” the ministry said. – dpa