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THE ‘BOAT PEOPLE’ TRIAL • Witness hoped to be rewarded with asylum
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Posted on Sep 21 1999
A ship mechanic hinted yesterday he had agreed to cooperate with government prosecutors on the alien smuggling case in hopes of being rewarded with asylum in the United States.
Li Ming was charged and later pled guilty to alien smuggling. The plea agreement requires him to become a government’s witness at the trial of six other men charged with the same crime.
“I pled guilty as a crew member,” Li said during cross examination by defense attorney Eric Smith.
When Smith asked if he knew the nature of the charges with which he was charged, Li replied “no” , reiterating that he “pled guilty as a crew member.”
Li, who is the fifth witness to testify at the alien smuggling trial, is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 14.
According to Li, he knew he is set to appear at the court on that date, but was not aware that it was for sentencing proceedings.
When asked if he expected to be sent to the US after serving his jail term, Li replied, “Of course, everybody is the same.”
He said he had volunteered to work as a crew member of the fishing vessel that carried 51 undocumented aliens, seeing it as a chance to reach Guam.
Li said that during an earlier investigation he told immigration and FBI agents that he wanted to go to the US and seek asylum.
“I was told that the chance was very little. They told me that I would be sent back to China,” Li said through a translator.
Facing jury trial at the US District Court are Xue Jian Hui, He, Xi Di, Shi Guo Rui, Gao Liang, Shi Peng, He Xiu Jin, who are referred to by the prosecutor as “enforcers.”
They were charged with conspiracy to smuggle aliens, alien smuggling for port and alien smuggling at a place other than the designated port.
Smith told the prosecutor, Assistant US Atty. Gregory Baka, to refrain from using the word “enforcer” because “we don’t have a definition for that term.”
Baka said “enforcer” was a term used by the crewmen during earlier investigations.
Li said “enforcers” are those “who can freely walk around the boat.”
Through folders containing photographs, Li pointed to those “who can freely walk around the boat.”
However, he said, he did not know any of the passengers before boarding the ship.
The trial continues today. (MCM)
