Free trip home for bomb man riles National

Tony Ryall

National Party law and order spokesman Tony Ryall says he is outraged that the man at the centre of a bomb scare that paralysed central Tauranga has been expelled from NZ without further punishment.

Jakob Slevec was escorted by two senior Western Bay of Plenty policemen on a 34-hour flight to Slovenia on Thursday and all charges against him are likely to be dropped.

Slevec appeared in court on September 16 charged with burglary and threatening to kill or cause grievous bodily harm.

It has been reported that Slevec holed up in a Tauranga hotel and threatened to blow himself up so he could be kicked out of NZ.

Mr Ryall said the decision to expel him sent all the wrong messages.

"It's barmy to give free trips home to bomb hoaxers. This decision tells lonely stranded foreigners that if you threaten to blow up a building then the Labour Government will give you a free ticket home."

Slevec was due to make his second appearance in Tauranga District Court on Monday, but Detective Inspector Karl Wright-St Clair confirmed Slevec would not be in the country and the charges would probably be dropped.

He said it was not unusual for people to be expelled while they were facing charges in New Zealand.

"We have to weigh up all the circumstances and make a decision that is in the best interest of everyone concerned.

"Based on his explanation when he was arrested and his mental state, we believed it was in everyone's best interest that he was deported sooner rather than later."

Last week Slevec brought Tauranga to a standstill when he threatened to blow himself and the Hotel on Devonport to pieces unless he could talk to Prime Minister Helen Clark.

Police herded shoppers out of the city and cordoned off streets. The interruption is estimated to have cost businesses up to $500,000.

The 13-hour siege ended when police were satisfied Slevec had fallen asleep and had no explosives with him.

The Immigration Service established Slevec was an overstayer shortly after he was arrested and issued an order for his removal.

He arrived in New Zealand in 1999 on a student visa. He was granted a work visa but his status was under review by the Immigration Department.

His visa expired in July.

- NZPA