In a world first, a disgruntled bureaucrat with Melbourne's Moreland Local Council (Australia) has had over 100 internet sites in the United States formally censored. Ms. Heather Jones (photo to the right) made threats which led to an American Internet Service provider (ISP) to wipe the sites. Most dealt with scientific research into wildlife.

Last month an obsessive bureaucrat, Ms. Heather Jones and/or her agents contacted USA company 'Interspeed.net' and directed them to wipe all their websites controlled by Australian corruption author Raymond Hoser (lower photo to the left). Following repeated and unlawful threats, Interspeed yesterday announced that they will wipe the sites next Friday (Australian time). Jones took umbrage to sites selling Hoser's three high-selling corruption titles, Smuggled, Smuggled-2 and The Hoser Files two of which have 'best-seller' status. Ms. Jones has, it seems, been waging a personal crusade against Hoser's books apparently because she took umbrage to a book's contents. She is not in any of them. Although apparently some of her friends or associates are. For the record her contact details are: 97 Burrowye Crs Keilor 3036 Phone: (03) 9449 8623.

Over 18 defamation actions against Hoser (by various people) in relation to the books and websites have all failed. Likewise for a legal attempt through the courts to have Hoser's internet access formally banned. The case in November 1996 was a first of it's kind in Australia. At the time Justice David Levine specifically ruled that any attempts to remove Hoser's sites from the internet would be a contempt of court, (two other judges also upheld the ruling when it was later appealed).

Following the announcement by Interspeed that they have caved in to the threats, Hoser's publisher, Kotabi Publishing, has announced that they are speaking to lawyers with a view to lodging a damages claim against Jones and her employer, Moreland City Council. They seek to cover losses incurred while the domain name sites are off-line, a large number of book orders are lost and other costs associated with re-establishing the sites. Attorney and Solicitor Mr. Alex Tees said, 'it is likely that the hapless ratepayers of Moreland could be stuck facing a damages bill in excess of $100,000 over the wayward efforts of an out-of control bureaucrat'.

American lawyers are also being briefed with a view to take civil action against Interspeed in the event that they do in fact wipe the sites as promised. At the time the USA sites were first set up, the manager at Interspeed, Jasen Baker made repeated written statements stating that they had agreed not to wipe the websites in response to illegal threats from people such as Jones. Today Hoser said 'these sorts of threats had been anticipated, as we had them in Australia - hence the move offshore'. However Hoser then said 'Heather Jones and the Moreland Council was the last place we thought such threats would come from'.

Jones had her first clash with Hoser in February/March 1998, when Hoser was doing a book signing in her municipality. At the time she took the unusual step of trying to unlawfully ban Hoser from 'selling' books in the district. She also unlawfully assaulted him, damged an expensive camera and upset numerous onlookers including former police. She later admitted on oath in court that she had sought to 'destroy'. Witnesses described her as a seriously crazed woman.

Until now, when interspeed first revealed the indentity of where the threats had come from, Hoser hadn't heard or seen of Jones since that first and thelast dispute nearly a year ago. Today Hoser said 'As far as I was concerned she was history. It was good riddance as far as I was concerned. Now this obsessive woman is breaking laws again. She is driving everyone crazy and at the same time wrecking Australia's international reputation.'

Hoser is also an internationally recognized zoologist. His books have been repeatedly cited in Australian parliaments and one (Smuggled-2) recently precipitated a major re-write of wildlife laws in New South Wales.

Further information as well as high quality photos of Ms. Heather Jones and Raymond Hoser can be obtained (for republication in newspapers and other media) from the websites: www.smuggled.com/morcou2.htm or if censored at mirror sites including: www.lexicon.net/morcou2.htm (expected to be online with this release for one week only after the date of this media release) and elsewhere if both previous sites are wiped or offline.

HIGHER RESOLUTION VERSIONS OF THE PHOTOS DEPICTED ON THIS PAGE CAN BE OBTAINED FOR PUBLICATION PURPOSES BY MEDIA BY CLICKING ON THE IMAGES WHICH ARE LINKED TO THE BETTER QUALITY HIGH RESOLUTION VERSIONS. OR ALTERNATIVELY CLICK ON THE NAMES IN THE NEXT LINE...

RAYMOND HOSER - - - - - - - - - - - HEATHER JONES

THEY WILL ONLY TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO DOWNLOAD

IF PHOTOS ARE REPUBLISHED, PLEASE CITE RAYMOND HOSER AS THE PHOTOGRAPHER (CONDITION OF REPUBLICATION).

STOP PRESS - FEBRUARY 10TH 1999 - Smuggled.com websites including this one have now been re-established on a different USA-based server. Mirror sites have also been established. Legal Action against Ms. Jones and Moreland City Council is now likely as Hoser seeks to recoup losses arising from the illegal actions of Ms. Jones and her henchmen.

Phone enquiries can be made to:

Raymond Hoser on 0412-777-211. (International callers ring +61 18 588 699) or

Kotabi Publishing on 03 9857 44491

For full details involving corruption involving Ms. Heather Jones and criminal acts by her, CLICK HERE.

E-Mail inquiries to Australians Against Corruption (AAC) at adder@smuggled.com