Lebanon Releases Canadian Man Held for Exporting Rotten Potatoes to Algeria

A government official said Saturday that a Canadian farmer has been released from a Lebanese jail after being held for a year on allegations he exported rotten potatoes to Algeria.Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Diane Ablonczy confirmed Saturday that the farmer, Henk Tepper, was released from a Beirut jail. “Our government has been quietly and persistently working through diplomatic channels to resolve his situation,” she said. “Canada’s ambassador to Lebanon and consular officials displayed an unwavering commitment to assist Mr. Tepper. Canada is also appreciative of the responsiveness of our partners in Lebanon.”Federal Senator Pierrette Ringuette said Tepper is expected to arrive in Ottawa, Ontario, later Saturday and will be greeted by his family at the airport.Tepper was arrested in Lebanon when he traveled to the Middle East on an agricultural trade mission to promote seed potatoes from Atlantic Canada.Tepper, of Drummond, New Brunswick, has never been charged, but has been in custody in Beirut since March 23 of last year on an international arrest warrant issued by Interpol on allegations he exported rotten potatoes to Algeria in 2007.Algeria also alleges that Tepper, in his mid-40s, forged documents related to the export of potatoes from Quebec and Prince Edward Island.Since his arrest in Beirut, Tepper has been in a legal limbo because Lebanon doesn’t have an extradition treaty with Algeria.Tepper’s lawyers, Jim Mockler and Joe Karam, have denied all of the allegations, saying the potatoes were inspected in Canada before shipment and met Algerian standards.Ringuette said Tepper is being accompanied on his return to Canada by his lawyers.His lawyers and family have expressed concerns about his deteriorating health since he was jailed.The Tepper family couldn’t immediately be reached for comment on Saturday, but they issued a statement on the first anniversary of his imprisonment thanking friends and the public for their support. “During this difficult year of birthdays, graduations, anniversaries and Christmas without Henk, we have been able to remain strong as a family due to the love and support of friends and strangers alike,” they said.The family owns Tobique Farms in Drummond, a potato producer that exports to Cuba, Venezuela, Lebanon and Algeria.New Brunswick Premier David Alward, a former agriculture minister, who participated in trade missions with Tepper, said he is glad to know he’s coming home. “He’s a down to earth guy. He’s a businessman. He’s a hard working individual,” said Alward. “He’s been one of the potato producers in New Brunswick that has been most focused on building export markets, and this is a huge relief to the whole industry.”