Leonard Manning Investigation – APC Purchase Row – Lundy Murders – Australian Manhunt – Pepper Spray Death – Bomb Scare – Holy Pizza

LEONARD MANNING INVESTIGATION:: The family of an NZ peace-keeper shot in East Timor received a promise from Indonesia today. Indonesian police today held a press conference and promised that a trial would follow their investigation into the death of private Manning in Timor. The police visit follows up a commitment made by Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid during a flying visit to NZ. The police team hope to retrieve Manning’s weapon and kit while in NZ as well as interviewing witnesses.

APC PURCHASE ROW: Fresh claims have been made today that there has been a big bungle in defence spending. The government claims that ACT’s leader Richard Prebble is ranting. Prebble says that a draft Auditor General report on the Armed Personnel Carrier LAV IIIs is very critical of the purchase. Meanwhile. NZ First’s Ron Mark has had long term concerns about the contracting process for the LAV IIIs. He says that some senior officers cooked the books to get what they wanted. Mark says he wants to see the draft AG’s report tabled. The Minister meanwhile says that MPs should stop making things up.

LUNDY MURDERS: Today the crown’s key witness told the court she had psychic powers, but that she hadn’t used them on in relation to Mark Lundy. The star witness says that on her way to choir practice he saw a fat man in a wig running away from the Lundy’s house. Defence counsel cross-examined the witness about her psychic powers. At the end of the pathologist’s evidence a woman in the gallery yelled out “your daughter is in me, Lundy”, she was removed from the court. The prosecution also presented evidence relating to cell-phone calls made from Mr Lundy’s phone.

AUSTRALIAN MANHUNT: Aboriginal trackers have been called in to track a man who attacked a tourist couple in the outback of Australia. The brother of the missing Englishman says he refuses to give up hope. Two days before his disappearance the victim phoned home. Police have produced a composite picture of their suspect.

PEPPER SPRAY DEATH: Family and friends of Police pepper spray victim Russell Hamilton gathered to farewell him today in Hamilton. They have made allegations that police had used unnecessary force to stop the disabled Mr Hamilton after he became angry and broke a window. A coroner’s inquiry is to be held into the death. Hamilton’s death is the second associated with police use of pepper spray. The Police Complaints Authority has launched an inquiry.

BOMB SCARE: An amateur electronic game sent through the post led to a bomb disposal alert at Auckland Airport today.

HOLY PIZZA: A Hastings Muslim man who ate bacon accidentally on what was supposed to be a vegetarian pizza, has been invited to Auckland and offered more pizzas in compensation. Earlier the man had asked to have his family sent to Mecca for spiritual cleansing. He now says he can be cleansed in Auckland.A cleric says that unintentional eating of bacon does not have spiritual consequences.

© Scoop Media

Alastair Thompson

Scoop Publisher

Alastair Thompson is the co-founder of Scoop. He is of Scottish and Irish extraction and from Wellington, New Zealand. Alastair has 24 years experience in the media, at the Dominion, National Business Review, North & South magazine, Straight Furrow newspaper and online since 1997. He is the winner of several journalism awards for business and investigative work.

CONTACT ALASTAIR THOMPSON

• Mobile - 021707044
• Twitter - @althecat
• Google+

• Linkedin
• Facebook
• Email - alastair@scoop.co.nz