Banned Fiji coup-backer slips into NZ

By EUGENE BINGHAM political reporter

A Fijian blacklisted for backing the George Speight coup has slipped into the country on a taxpayer-funded aid programme, making a mockery of New Zealand's hardline sanctions against the troubled nation.

While the Government continues to snub members of Suva's interim Administration, the man who Foreign Minister Phil Goff suggested was a "significant player" in the May 19 coup entered New Zealand for medical treatment through an aid programme.

Mr Goff said the man should not have been issued a three-month visa when he arrived for surgery for a serious but not emergency ailment.

But border authorities did not recognise him as banned because officials had not provided the Immigration Service with his date of birth. Without it, no alarm bells rang when he arrived on a commercial flight.

Now the man is here, he will not be deported until declared fit to travel.

Fijian democracy campaigners in Auckland were last night furious that the man was able to avoid detection despite being on a list of people banned for their involvement in overthrowing the democratically elected Government.

They questioned the effectiveness of the list.

The mistake was revealed during Parliament's question time when Mr Goff told National MP John Luxton that a Fijian undergoing medical treatment had managed to enter the country.

Mr Goff later told the Herald that the man had slipped in through a medical scheme run under New Zealand's Official Development Assistance programme.

"The person should not have come here but the way in which he was able to get here under a medical scheme is being looked at," he said.

Officials running the programme had not checked the blacklist before approving the man's visit. They had been asked to be more vigilant in future.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was also ensuring that all details on the list, including birthdates, were up to date.

Mr Goff refused to name the man or say what ailment he was suffering.

But asked about the man's level of involvement in the coup, Mr Goff said: "To appear on the list of 154 they needed to be directly associated with support for the coup of May 19. To be on the list at all you had to be a significant player in that or to have been clearly identified as a supporter of the coup."

The man is not deposed President Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, who has been in Auckland receiving dental treatment.

A spokesman for the group Coalition for Democracy in Fiji said it was a surprise to them that someone had entered New Zealand.

Nik Naidu said no one associated with the coup should be allowed in, especially for medical treatment.

"They have wrecked the country and they expect people who can't afford treatment to stay in Fiji and yet they're happy to come here ... It's really disgusting."

The group would protest outside the man's hospital if they found out where he was.

The Fiji Association in Auckland was also upset that the man had managed to enter the country.

"We are surprised they have been able to slip past the Immigration Service, which is normally very vigilant," said Dr Satendra Singh.

"The list should be applied with greater vigilance."

Mr Luxton said he was not aware of the details of the case but had heard rumours that at least two banned immigrants had entered the country.

He called on the Government to make details of the case public.

"The Government should be more transparent ... They have set rules and then let someone in.

"People should be able to judge the situation."