  We study localization properties of a one-dimensional disordered system
characterized by a random non-hermitean hamiltonian where both the randomness
and the non-hermiticity arises in the local site-potential; its real part being
ordered (fixed), and a random imaginary part implying the presence of either a
random absorption or amplification at each site. The transmittance (forward
scattering) decays exponentially in either case. In contrast to the disorder in
the real part of the potential (Anderson localization), the transmittance with
the disordered imaginary part may decay slower than that in the case of ordered
imaginary part.
