NZ police on Solomon Islands assassination case

Two New Zealand detectives left for the Solomon Islands yesterday to help investigate the assassination of a former police commissioner there.

Sir Fredrick Soaki, a National Peace Council member, was shot dead 11 days ago in Auki, the provincial capital of Malaita.

Sir Fredrick was killed while he was having a meal with police, Government and United Nations Development Programme officials.

He had been working on a scheme to disband special constables in the Solomons.

Detective Inspector Bruce Good of Auckland and Detective Sergeant Neville Ross of Hamilton left for the Solomons yesterday.

A police spokeswoman said Solomons police had asked for assistance.

The pair would undertake general investigative work.

At the start of this month the Solomons swore in as Police Commissioner a Briton, William Morrell, who had been deputy chief constable of the Greater Manchester Police.

The Solomons have suffered a four-year-long civil war sparked initially on Guadalcanal Island.

The capital of the Solomons, Honiara, is on Guadalcanal.

Indigenous Guadalcanal people, resentful of the presence of Malaita Islanders, began a guerrilla movement operating under a variety of names to drive them out.

- NZPA

Herald feature: Feature: Solomon Islands