Charges against Fiji mercenaries dropped
Title -- 5302 BOUGAINVILLE: Charges against Fiji mercenaries dropped
Date -- 11 February 2008
Byline -- Media release
Origin -- Pacific Media Watch
Source -- Radio NZ International 11/02/08
Copyright - RNZI
Status -- Unabridged
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CHARGES AGAINST SO-CALLED FIJI MERCENARIES IN BOUGAINVILLE DROPPED FOR LACK OF EVIDENCE
www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=37941
BUKA (RNZI Online/Pacific Media Watch): Papua New Guinea’s autonomous province of Bougainville has freed four Fiji mercenaries accused of training a private army for wanted money scam operator Noah Musingku.
The National Court in Buka released them due to insufficient evidence.
The Post-Courier newspaper reports the former Fiji soldiers are set to return home once the PNG Foreign Affairs Department grants them the necessary papers.
They had been accused of helping form an unauthorised force and for conducting unlawful training of militia.
But Justice Ambeng Kandakasi said there was no case to answer as there were serious inconsistencies and deficiencies in the State’s evidence.
Two other Fiji men are understood to still be with Musingku in South Bougainville.
The former soldiers had reportedly been lured to Bougainville more than two years ago with promises of payments of up to US$1 million each.
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