28/04/2013 Reporters

Well no on BBC news, it is time for Welcome to Reporters. From here in

the world news room, we send out correspondents to bring you the

best stories from across the globe. This week, the fake bomb detectors

which lead to misery and mayhem in Iraq. We investigate the British

businessmen who made millions from the bogus devices designed to find

lost golf balls. Jim McCormick brought hundreds of them from the

US for $20 each. He put his of labels on them and sold them as

bomb detectors for as much as $500 a time. A touring for past sins, we

meet the North Korean agent convicted of going up a South

Korean airliner in 1987. -- blowing up. Singapore's same-sex tablet. We

ask why tolerance what many call the freedom to love is less open

there. By law, sex between two men is still a criminal act. You can be

jailed for up to two years. It is a legacy found in other colonies. And

Africa's Oscars. We meet the red carpet stars of Nigeria.

First, a report on cynicism and fraud on a scale that caused much

tragedy. What started life as a novelty golf ball finder like this

ended up taking the lives of hundreds. A British millionaire

businessman took this simple gadget, a near Ariel on a hinge, and

convince governments and some of the most volatile countries in the

world that it was a bomb detector. This week, James McCormick was

convicted of fraud after a BBC investigation uncovered the fate

devices. He claimed they could also detect drugs, ivory and 100 dollar

bills. His biggest market was in Iraq. As our correspondent reports,

there were many countries that bought the device. If you believe

the sales pitch, the so-called bomb detector could detect explosives

for more than half a mile away. All power would by no more than the use

of static electricity. -- all powered by. How many people's lives

have been saved. Today at the Old Bailey, J MacCormick was convicted

of fraud. His scam began with this, and novelty golf ball finder. In

reality, an aerial on Atkins which could not find anything. He bought

hundreds of them from the US for $20 each, put his old labels on

them and sold them as bomb detectors for as much as $5,000 a

time. He then created a more advanced looking version which he

called the 8651. It came with special cards. -- ADE 651. He said

it could detect ivory, hundred dollar bills and other things. He

sold this one for even more money. Iraq spent thousands of dollars

buying them for protection from suicide bombs at airports. We have

been told that bribes to senior Iraqi officials helped Jim

McCormick sweeten the deal for the ball was devices. -- bogus. This

was one of a series of explosions to rock Baghdad in late 2009. At

the height of the bombings, there were calls for the device to be

withdrawn. up with the head of the Baghdad

bomb squad, organised a press conference to persuade Iraqis that

it worked. We have discovered that the general had been bribed by Jim

McCormick. He has now been jailed for corruption fight to the work of

this man. He is the inspector- general of the Interior Ministry.

He says his investigation is backed by the Prime Minister but other

high ranking officials are implicated in the conspiracy.

TRANSLATION: I feel furious as a citizen of Iraq when I think that

this man, Jim McCormick, and the Iraqis working with him, killed by

people in cold blood by creating a false sense of security with a

useless device. How many people lost their lives in bombs that

passed through checkpoints were this device was being used?

TRANSLATION: I think hundreds. I do not have exact statistics but it

was hundreds. For every bomb stopped, he said, four got through.

The exporters that were found work as cover because of tip-offs or by

chance. Between 2008, and 2009, over 1,000 Iraqis died in bomb

attacks in Baghdad alone. Many more words Yiewsley injured. I met

Haneen Alwan in Jordan. She has come for medical treatment. She

suffered an attack in Baghdad in 2009. She was two months pregnant

at the time. She had been craving ice cream. She went to buy it when

she was caught in the explosion. TRANSLATION: My life was completely

destroyed. I lost everything in an instant. I was left with nothing. I

lost the baby and my husband divorced me. She had trusted that

Jim McCormick's so-called bomb detector, used at virtually every

checkpoint, worked. What do you think of the man who sold these

devices? TRANSLATION: The man has no conscience. He is morally

bankrupt. How could he sell them just for the money and destroy the

lives of others? He has no humanity. A useless person. At checkpoints

across the capital and beyond were bombs remain a constant threat, the

bogus detector is still being used. The man who sold them now faces

several years behind bars. That report was from Iraq. To the

conflict in Syria now. It is one of the most dangerous places in the

world. Apart from the battle on the ground between government forces

and rebels, kidnapping has now apparently reached epidemic

proportions. Sometimes it is for political reasons. Often it is just

for money. Our Middle East Editor has been talking to a victim of

kidnapping in Damascus. A warning, this report contains graphic

imagery which some of you may find disturbing. Some memories can't be

wiped. When the shopkeeper was kidnapped, his captors demanded a

$1.5 million ransom. They filmed him begging his family to help.

When the kidnappers did not get what they wanted, he chopped off

one of his fingers. -- they chopped off. They send the video and the

finger to his family. He was ransomed after they borrowed

$80,000. He says he was kidnapped by Sunni Muslim gunmen loyal to the

opposition army for money and because he is a Shia who supports

the President. TRANSLATION: The sectarian factor was clear. They

directed sectarian insults to be at bisect. There was a lot of blame.

They considered me an infidel. -- and my sect. The streets of

Damascus used to be safe. Now at the empty after dark. -- now the

empty. People know that kidnappers include gunmen loyal to both sides.

It can be political, often it is about money. On the checkpoints,

so-called popular committees. Vigilantes. These men seem that

part of the community. Elsewhere there are complaints that the abuse

their new power. The President has ordered the death penalty for

kidnappers. He is being forced to contract out his security. That did

not happen when this was a tight police state. Kidnapping is another

way in which the war is doing serious damage to the social fabric

of Syria. That matters have ever wins. Longer term, it is going to

make it much harder to put this country back together again. The

disintegration of Syria is making new men influential, even powerful.

This man negotiates with kidnappers. He helped to release the man whose

finger was cut off. He has police bodyguards, a sign of how close he

is to the regime. He introduced me to leaders of the vigilantes in

Damascus. He claimed the rebels were losing. These are local men

who have what guns. All of them, they live here, in this area. They

were given these guns by the Government to defend themselves.

is necessary. A 13-year-old boy called Omar stops him, asking him

to help get his kidnapped father released 41 days after he was taken.

He has said "I am fine." This is the only words he has said. That is

all they have had and 41 days? The reality is that kidnapping

threatens Syrians on every side of the war that spawned it. The

majority of people find themselves trapped. He said "I want my father

back." it is not easy to get an insight into how the North Korean

regime works. However, one person the first and

experience spoke to us. She is no relation to the Kim dynasty that

ruled the country for decades. She is a former North Korean agent who

was convicted of blowing up a North Korean -- red camellia plane in

1987. 115 people died. She now lives in seclusion and Seoul where

she has given a rare interview to the young Korean sailors who were

killed three years ago when their vessel was blown up by a North

Korean torpedo. It was just one of the latest in a long line of

attacks by North Korea on South Korean targets. I had been to talk

to a woman who carried out one of the most infamous attacks. I was

told to take down a South Korean airliner. I was told to create

chaos and confusion. The mission would strike a blow for the

revolution. We did the orders come from? In North Korea everything is

about the kingdom. Without you say so nothing can happen. We were told

we were contributing to bringing about the unification of Korea.

leader was a god-like figure. We were ready so to sacrifice Sella.

We were contributing to bringing about the reunification of Korea.

Does that mean people will be loyal to the present leader because he is

part of the royal family. As the colt still working? North Korea is

in a desperate situation. Discontent is very high with the

leader. He has to put a lid on it. You only thing he has his nuclear

weapons. That is why he has created the sense of war, to try to rally

the population. He is doing business with nuclear weapons.

do you deal with your personal feelings of guilt? When I confessed

I did so reluctantly. I felt my family would be in danger. It was a

big decision to confess. I began to realise it would be the right thing

to do ffor the victims. Eventually I met with the the victims families.

They were all in tears. How do you feel now? There is no other country

like North Korea. People outside cannot understand that. The whole

country is set to show loyalty to the dynasty. People are

indoctrinated. There are no freedoms. When I look back it makes

me feel sad. Why did I have to be born in North Korea? Look at what

it did to me. Gay marriage became legal in France this week. New

Zealand passed a similar law the week before. Many states in the

United States have gone the same way. But in many countries

tolerance is less obvious. Parts of Asia can be quite conservative.

Singapore has a law against sex between men. How strictly is that

law enforced? This is Singapore's one and only openly gay public

figure. Need a drag-queen and stand up He jokes about having sex with

another man and the audience does not always burst into laughter.

had to clear all my inhibitions. I think there is more tolerance.

People understand that people are just bored differently. - - people

are just born differently. The public attitude has been changing.

Thousands of people gather to support the freedom to love

regardless of sexual orientation. There are even some gay clubs. But

by law sex between two men is still a criminal act. Despite this law

these photos were published earlier this month in a magazine.

Prosecutions are rare but one couple has been challenging the law

in court arguing it is unconstitutional. Despite this law,

these voters were published earlier this month in a magazine. Media

outlets are not allowed to promote homosexual acts, so these

publishers publish their magazine only in digital form. Our magazine

is a healthy lifestyle magazine. tried to create a mixture of fun

allotments and lifestyle and fashion together with the

educational content. Coming out in Asia, HIV. Sex and relationships,

monogamy, all these things that would help address their concerns.

There is been no complaint from the government. Getting the law to

follow suit is proving to be tougher. This week began with a

celebration of African cinema as Nigeria home to what is known as

the African home -- film industry marked the African Film Academy

Awards. Film-makers, starts and musicians flew from across the

Continent to the African Oscars. It was held in Nigeria. They

celebrated the confident and burgeoning film industry. There was

plenty of red carpet glamour on show as the stars headed for the

African Academy Awards. In the Niger Delta, a night to show off in

front of cameras. Time for some last-minute touches. You would not

call many of these people shy, they were some Bald wardrobe choices.

Outside the venue, and clamoured to get a glimpse of the stars. Film-

makers and musicians flown in from all over the Continent, including a

South African singing duo. Tell me how does it feel to be here in the

Niger delta. It is not your average location for a movie awards

ceremony? We're very excited. It gives people around here an

opportunity to see stars. They have bought it closer to the people. We

are looking forward to it and very excited. Inside the walls of a warm

welcome is a marathon eight-hour awards ceremony got under way. 700

films was submitted from across Africa and the DS Brewer. All

aiming to win a shapely hammer. The jury chose a South African woman as

best actress. Other awards went to films from Kenya, Mali, Mozambique

and Burkina Faso. The inns are passed on from one generation to

the next. The Nigerian film won the Best Film, a comedy-drama full of

comedy and revenge and heartbreak. It cost $40,000 to make. After

earlier scooping the best Nigerian film award, it was a great night

for the director. The competition, there has never been as many

entries that they have got them. They were so many quality films.

But to get this award means a lot. We put a lot into making our own

film. One thing I know my film will do, it will inspire young film-

makers to get out there and get a little bit of money and shoot a

film. This was a ceremony have focused on Africa's deep pall of