DATE=3/6/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=MIAMI / CUBA SPY (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-259890
BYLINE=MICHAEL BOWMAN
DATELINE=MIAMI
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: A high-ranking U-S immigration official has
pleaded innocent to charges he passed secret
information to Cuba. From Miami, V-O-A's Michael
Bowman has details.
TEXT: During a brief arraignment hearing in federal
court Monday, U-S Immigration and Naturalization
Service supervisor Mariano Faget denied five charges
of espionage and making false statements to U-S
officials. An attorney for the Cuban-born suspect,
who worked for the I-N-S for more than 30 years, says
a vigorous defense will be mounted against the
charges.
Last month, the F-B-I arrested Mr. Faget after
completing a "sting" operation in which the suspect
was asked to prepare political asylum papers for a
senior Cuban official who was -- supposedly -- about
to defect. The F-B-I says Mr. Faget promptly called a
New York businessman known to have ties with Cuba, and
revealed the name of the supposed defector.
In addition, the F-B-I says the suspect maintained
contact with several diplomats in the Cuban Interests
Section in Washington, one of whom was expelled from
the United States in the wake of Mr. Faget's arrest.
For his part, Mariano Faget says he never passed any
sensitive information to anyone. He admits contacting
the New York businessman, but insists he had no
intention to betray the supposed Cuban defector. He
also admits meeting with expelled Cuban diplomat Jose
Imperatori in 1998, but says he was never asked, nor
did he volunteer, any U-S secrets.
The case is but one of several issues of late that
have further strained already-icy relations between
Washington and Havana. The Cuban government has
accused the Clinton administration of artificially
creating the spy scandal, as a pretext to delay the
return to the island of six-year-old shipwreck
survivor Elian Gonzalez.
The United States has denied the charge, noting that,
in his I-N-S duties, Mariano Faget did not handle any
portion of the Elian Gonzalez matter. (Signed)
NEB/MCB/WTW
06-Mar-2000 16:27 PM EDT (06-Mar-2000 2127 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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