Investigation Into Pvte Manning's Death Moves To NZ

Defence Minister Mark Burton said today that a team of Indonesian police will arrive in New Zealand this weekend as part of their investigation into the killing of Private Leonard Manning in East Timor in July last year.

"During Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid’s recent visit to New Zealand, Prime Minister Helen Clark expressed her deep concern that no-one has been prosecuted over Private Manning's death.

"The subsequent dispatch of an Indonesian police investigation team to East Timor and New Zealand to gather evidence is a welcome development and one that we hope will lead to the early and effective prosecution of those responsible for Private Manning’s death.

"Members of that team will arrive in New Zealand this weekend. Early next week they will interview witnesses based in New Zealand including members of the Second New Zealand Battalion Group.

"The New Zealand Defence Force is facilitating the Indonesian police investigation team’s visit and the Manning family has been kept fully informed.

"The New Zealand Government expects that Private Manning’s killers will be brought to justice. Our thoughts continue to be with his family, friends and colleagues in the New Zealand Defence Force," Mark Burton said.

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