Navin Naidu In Police Custody

Issue No: 849 13 June 2001

Terrorist George Speight's `lawyer', Navin Naidu was taken in by Fiji police for questioning last night.

Police Department has confirmed that Naidu has been taken in for questioning to determine if he committed a crime by falsely stating that he was a law graduate from the London University in his application for temporary admission to the bar in Fiji.

Naidu was held in police cell last night and questioning began this morning.

Naidu was planning to leave the country early this morning.

Meanwhile, after public outcry, Naidu confessed that he does not have any licence to practice law at the state level in the US.

The US government has also confirmed that Naidu is not a US citizen. Naidu has earlier claimed that he was a US citizen and was practising at the International Ecclesiastical Law Offices based in Seattle. There is no company by this name in Seattle.

It is understood that Naidu is carrying a Malaysian passport.

It is still not known whether he has any contact with Fiji's High Commissioner to Malaysia, Adi Samanunu Talakuli Cakobau. Adi Samanunu is a strong supporter of the Speight terrorist group. There is also information that SVT's Finance Minister Jim Ah Koy had a hand in getting Naidu to Fiji.

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