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Winner threatens Ornstein's web server, files charges

Ex-US Air Force intelligence officer stalks journalist's family with stun gun

by Eric Jackson

The rivalries in the small online world of Panama's English-speaking community, which reflects many of the divisions that cut through US society but also have several dynamics of their own, have been getting more vicious for some time now. Last year, you might recall, we had one Arturo de la Guardia openly calling for advertiser boycotts of The Panama News and Noriegaville, and sending vicious emails including one to this reporter suggesting suicide. Website and email group owner Donald K. Winner, whose diatribes against this reporter were the inspiration for de la Guardia's suicide suggestion, in attempting to call a story by this reporter a lie alleged in the Zonelink email group that this reporter had been trying to get nerve gas via the Internet, and his one-time business partner, Zonelink owner Bob Askew, refused to allow this reporter to respond in that forum. Winner and other right-wing elements of the American community even carried on a series of vulgar screeds against "liberals" and Democrats on the Panama Current Events and the World email group during Christmas.

Could it get worse?

It just did.

Early in the afternoon of March 30 Winner, a former US Air Force intelligence analyst, showed up at the Arraijan home of Noriegaville owner Okke Ornstein, a Dutch journalist who's married to a Panamanian and writes in English and Dutch, armed with a camera, a stun gun and a can of pepper spray. He began to take pictures of the house and the Ornsteins' two young daughters and when Mrs. Ornstein voiced her objections mocked her.

Okke, who was working at his wife's Internet cafe, was summoned and when he arrived Winner threatened him with the stun gun and then fled. A car chase ensued, in which Ornstein claims that Winner twice rammed his car. The police took notice, Ornstein pulled over, Winner kept driving, roadblocks were set up, Winner turned himself in to the PTJ and shortly thereafter Winner and Ornstein were in front of the corregidor.

Winner was fined for threatening Ornstein with the stun gun and Ornstein was fined for failing to carry his cedula with him. Winner was ordered to stay away from the Ornstein family and their house.

Later in the day Winner filed a pro se complaint against Ornstein with prosecutors, alleging criminal defamation. Ornstein, meanwhile, said he was considering various legal actions against Winner.

On April 2 the corregidor returned Winner's stun gun, and Winner published his only online allusion to the incident: "As I recently learned, when used correctly and in self-defense, stun guns (including my trusty Panther) are perfectly legal in the Republic of Panama."

Winner's campaign against Panama's online English-language journalists continued on April 10, when he called Carlos Hassan, whose web hosting service is used by Ornstein's http://www.noriegaville.com. Hassan told The Panama News that Winner threatened him with criminal prosecution if he does not stop hosting the Noriegaville site.

Street protest against dolphin capture plan
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Panama News Briefs