-Caveat Lector-
MI5 put me out of business;
Internet tycoon with GBP 1m debts blames spies as he denies fleeing his
creditors
Richard Shears
A COMPUTER tycoon whose firm collapsed with debts of almost GBP 1million
yesterday denied that he had fled to Sri Lanka to escape his creditors.
Instead, Joe de Saram told an extraordinary story of persecution by
British
Government 'spies'.
Sitting in a secluded Colombo garden, the 27-year-old claimed the secret
agencies are determined to put him out of business because he has developed
encryption technology which could stop them monitoring emails.
He spoke of helicopter surveillance over his home, being followed in the
street by shadowy figures and cars with number plates that could be
traced back
to the Government and people 'talking into their sleeves' while watching
him in
restaurants. Mr de Saram's Sheffield-based company, Rhodium, which
specialised
in protecting businesses from hackers, ran into 'mysterious' financial
problems
which led last week to a judge in Leeds winding it up.
Talking for the first time about the affair, Mr de Saram insisted he has
more than enough money to pay everyone back. His GBP 20,000 Rolex flashed
in the
sun as he claimed to be worth 'about GBP 4.5billion, give or take a
million or
two.' He could settle virtually all his bills with his prestigious black
American Express card, he said. 'I will be more than happy to deposit GBP
1million, GBP 2million, GBP 3million, whatever, in a New York attorney's
client
account as a gesture of goodwill to show I intend to pay everyone. I will
not do
this, however, until I have got some answers from the British Government.'
Even by the standards of high-tech tycoons, the rise of Sri Lankan-born Mr
de Saram was rapid. The only son of medical parents, who moved to the UK
when he
was a baby, he was educated at public school before going to medical college.
Medicine was not challenging enough, however, and he went into computers
instead, working on programmes for banks and other financial institutions. He
started Rhodium with GBP 2,500 borrowed from friends and paid them all back
within a week.
He won contracts with corporate giants such as Rank Xerox, Vodafone and
American Express.
Within five years he had amassed a GBP 25million fortune and a
lifestyle to
match, putting him on a top 20 list of Britain's richest under 30. He shared
18th place with David and Victoria Beckham and the boxer Naseem Hamed.
Yesterday he claimed his expertise had made him 'a thorn in Big Brother's
eye'.
He said: 'What I've developed will protect everyone's personal emails.
'Can you imagine what this means to a Government which has just introduced
legislation known as the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act with the
intention of ordering anyone and everyone to reveal their email password
whenever asked?
'But it goes further than that. We know MI5 is building a multimillion
pound
facility to monitor all email sent and received in Britain. With my
technology
they won't be able to read anything.
'They are frightened of me, particularly as I am young, I am Asian and my
mind is ahead of their own young people in this field.
'It gets up the noses of a Government that thinks of Tamil Tigers or
illegal
immigrants whenever they hear the words Sri Lankan. I am British to the
bone but
the only place I can now find support is back here.' Mr de Saram says he
is in
Sri Lanka working on a supercomputer project with the science fiction
writer Sir
Arthur C Clarke, whose 2001 A Space Odyssey had a supercomputer called
HAL in a
major role.
Last night Sir Arthur said he believes his associate's story of Government
persecution but said their business relationship would have to be 'put on
hold'
until the problems in Britain were resolved.
Mr de Saram said there was nothing suspicious in the apparent speed with
which he left the UK.
'I never plan my trips much. I just buy a ticket and get on a plane. I am
always coming here for the Clarke project.
'But everything came down on me at once.
Rhodium was trading quite happily and the next thing the bank started
doing
some very strange things with our cheques.
Certain cheques were lost or allegedly misplaced and as a result creditors
were not paid.
'This was obviously causing great disruption to our trading and the next
thing I found was that cheques were being bounced, even though we had agreed
protocols with the bank.
'The Government sees me as a threat and they have launched a campaign to
bring me to my knees.
'Unfortunately, people who don't understand are saying, "He's done a
runner
and he's not coming back to face his responsibilities." But I'll be back and
under my own free will.
'I have worked very, very hard to accomplish my position in Britain as one
of the youngest and most successful businessmen.
'I am not going to let anyone snatch it away from me on the basis and I
truly believe this is the case that I am seen as an Asian who shouldn't be
allowed to get to these heights.' Mr de Saram said he had nothing to hide and
pointed out that there is an extradition treaty between Sri Lanka and
Britain.
He said his assets in Britain still include his GBP 100,000 Ferrari a rare
blue model because 'red is so common, the colour of a double decker bus'
and a
house in West London.
Then Mr de Saram issued a challenge. He said: 'Now I've given my
explanation, I'd like the Government to give me some answers. They know
where to
find me.'
Copyright 2000 Associated Newspapers Ltd.
DAILY MAIL (London)
November 28, 2000
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