Fiji court says rape case stowaway should be extradited to New Zealand

A stowaway who fled to Fiji in a shipping container should be sent back to New Zealand to face rape charges, a court in Suva has ruled.

Chief Magistrate David Balram made the order against Shumendra Nilesh Chandra, who arrived in Fiji on the vessel Capitaine Wallis in September 2003.

Chandra, 30, a computer operator, of Auckland, was due to appear in court on sex offence charges, including rape, when he escaped during a visit to Auckland Hospital on May 20 2003.

He was being escorted by two guards from the Auckland Central Remand Prison.

Australasian Correctional Management, which managed the prison until its contract expired recently, said at the time that its investigation into how Chandra allegedly slipped his handcuffs and fled guards was unable to find out how he did it.

While one of his two guards was outside making a cellphone call, Chandra ran out of an exit.

He was next sighted over three months later when Fijian port workers off-loading containers heard someone calling for help from inside a container. When the container was opened, Chandra was found and was handed to police.

Fiji police advised Interpol of the details and the New Zealand Government sought Chandra's extradition.

Magistrate Balram said he was satisfied all the legal requirements had been met and the extradition order could be made by the High Court.

Chandra earlier pleaded guilty before magistrate Penaia Samusamuvodre in the Lautoka court to a charge of providing a false name and address to a police officer and unlawful entry.

His lawyer, Haroon Ali Shah, told the court his client was a permanent resident of New Zealand, after moving there in 2000. Magistrate Samusamuvodre fined Chandra $F40 for giving a false name to police and $F150 for unlawful entry into the country.

He was denied bail.

- NZPA