Details of Sands' death may never be known

Hamish Sands

Details surrounding the death of New Zealander Hamish Sands in an Ivory Coast prison cell may never be established, Foreign Minister Phil Goff warned today.

Yesterday Mr Sands' family, who had been given autopsy results, said they confirmed Mr Sands' death was not due to natural causes but could not say whether he took his own life or was killed by others.

United Nations officials oversaw the autopsy of Mr Sands -- who died while a captive of Ivory Coast rebels -- and a team continues to investigate the case.

"We await now the UN fact finding mission and the report that they will present to us through New York," Mr Goff said.

He hoped the mission would be able to establish who caused the death and how it came about.

"To an extent it's possible the UN mission will hopefully be able to give us that information -- though I guess all of us are concerned that may be equally inconclusive about precisely what happened and that would be a very frustrating outcome," he told National Radio.

Mr Sands, 36, was captured by New Forces rebels on March 11. They claimed the Hawke's Bay man, who had briefly served in the French Foreign Legion, was a mercenary hired by their country's government to kill rebel leaders -- a claim the family reject.

Mr Sands' sister and family spokeswoman Catherine Sands-Wearing yesterday released the inconclusive autopsy results but withheld details.

Mr Goff said the report gave the specific cause of death but he had to respect the family wishes and declined to say what it was. There were still some test results due back.

"It appears unlikely the autopsy by itself will tell us exactly what the circumstances were that led to his death."

The pathologist used had appropriate qualifications and Mr Goff did not believe there was any questions about the quality of the autopsy.

Mr Sands died after being transferred to a rebel prison in Korhogo from the guerrilla stronghold of Bouake.

Mr Goff said the UN mission had visited both prisons and he expected to get their report early next week. New Forces were also to produce a report.

A New Zealand diplomat was with the mission which has met New Forces leadership.

"I think it will be the view of the mission that the New Forces hierachy itself weren't behind the death -- they had everything to lose and nothing to gain from Hamish Sands' death,: Mr Goff said.

"They had hoped to have quite a high profile publicity event that would show them as responsible and magnanimous as they passed Mr Sands to the Red Cross."

Mr Sands' cell had been analysed and there was no sign of a struggle, but such signs may have been removed.

- NZPA