a683: Family reunited after false arrest in Haiti

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: JD Lemieux <lxhaiti@yahoo.com>

 Family reunited after false arrest in Haiti



NBC 6


MIAMI, February 6- A South Florida family is reunited
and celebrating freedom, after a man’s harrowing
ordeal in Haiti.



The celebration comes in the wake of Tony Saati’s
return to Miami from Haiti--where he was tossed into a
Haitian jail under mysterious charges that were later
dropped. At times, he wondered if he was going to
survive.

The ordeal is over now for Tony and his sister Gina,
who worked tirelessly for the past couple of months to
bring her brother back.


Gina Saati now says: “So much is going through my
mind. I'm just happy he's home and I want to thank
everyone for being here and keeping the message on the
air so we could get him out."


Saati showed NBC 6 the marks left by handcuffs.


He recalls: "The jail conditions are terrible. Lots of
cockroaches, but after awhile you don't mind."


As he explains it, Saati went to Haiti to serve
lawsuit papers on a former business partner. But in a
surreal turn of events, he was tossed into a Haitian
jail, accused falsely of taking part in December's
coup attempt.


"It was just like one of those soap operas. Business
turned politics."


For 25 days, Haitian authorities held the American
citizen in jail and then a hospital, until pressure
from the U.S. State Department and Florida's senators
finally worked.


Saati says: "That's why I say thanks to the nation,
what a powerful nation. I thank you very deeply."


He was released on January 14th, but elected to stay
in Haiti until his business was finished.


Tony now says he will not be intimidated by his
experience, and will continue to do business in Haiti.



‘What am I supposed to do, run away? If I run once,
then what happens? I never go back there?"


After an ordeal like that, you'd think Saati would be
bitter, but he's not.


Saati says: "No phone, no water, no electricity, but I
still love Haiti."


Both Tony and Gina grew up in Haiti but are now
Americans. They run an import-export company based in
Miami.




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