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Tuesday, April 23, 2002 - Web posted at 9:23:27 pm GMT

City hotel shooting suspect gets bail

A three-week battle to be released on bail has paid off for Chinese businessman Yu Jin, ending a month-long stint in Police custody over his alleged role in a shooting incident at a Windhoek hotel in which four people were wounded.

Magistrate George Mbundu granted Yu bail of N$2 000 late on Friday.

Yu and his lawyer, Andre Louw, had battled through repeated postponements since March 28, when Yu's bail application started in the Windhoek Magistrate's Court, to have the wheelchair-bound Chinese national released.

Yu (28) and two compatriots employed by him, Zhao Kuan (20) and Han Yu Qing (42), were arrested after machine gun fire brought a Chinese party at the Windhoek Country Club Resort and Casino to a chaotic end on March 23.

Four people were wounded in the gunfire.
Shooting erupted after Zhao allegedly took an unlicensed R4 assault rifle into a restaurant at the hotel where about 100 people had gathered for a celebration.

As Zhao entered and was restrained by another Chinese resident, Yu was inside the restaurant, beating an acquaintance with whom he appeared not to be having very cordial relations, Huang Song Geng, over the head with a stone wrapped in a cloth serviette.

For this, he faces a charge of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm.

The incident had shocked the local Chinese community and left them fearful, one of their most prominent members, businessman and restaurateur Cheng Yuan ('Leonard') Lee, told the court on Friday.

Lee was also wounded in the shooting - shrapnel struck him in both legs. He told Magistrate Mbundu that he personally has no problems with Yu, whom he considers as akin to a son.

However, other members of the Chinese community feared there could be a repeat of the events which led to Yu and his co-accused being locked up if he was released.

The problems between two groups which led to the shooting in the first place had not been resolved yet, he said.

The State, represented by Public Prosecutor Henrico von Wielligh, opposed the bail application.

Von Wielligh argued that Yu had to remain in custody mainly in the public interest, but also because of concerns that he might abscond if released, since his passport remains unaccounted for and he had been instructed by the Ministry of Home Affairs last year already to leave Namibia.

The Magistrate, however, said he had not been persuaded that Yu would be a threat to the public if released.

It was clear from the evidence that it was not Yu who carried out the shooting, he said, adding that the matter of bail should not be used to punish a person and that in his opinion there would need to be extreme circumstances for a court to refuse bail.

Yu has to appear in court again on May 21.

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