TV3 News

Monday, 22 May 2000, 6:21 pm
Article: Alastair Thompson

Dr Morgan Fahey Pleads Guilty - Fiji Coup - DPS Members To Fiji - Petrol Prices - Russell Coutts - Sue Bradford Cleared - Barbara Cartland

DR MORGAN FAHEY PLEADS GUILTY: Dr Morgan Fahey pleads guilty to 13 sex charges in High Court in Christchurch. The most serious charge one of rape. He also plead guilty to 11 charges of indecent assault. Earlier Dr Fahey denied the charges in an interview with 20/20 reporter. Rape Crisis says that the victims feel elation. The most compelling piece of evidence against Fahey was a secret recording made by one of his victims and broadcast on TV. After the allegations 24,000 people voted for him in the race for the Christchurch mayoralty. The judge rejected an application for bail.

FIJI COUP: The next turning point in Fiji's coup is expected tomorrow with a meeting of the Great Council of Chiefs. Shots have been fired. Moments of real tension today. A masked gunman tells a camera crew to leave and then lets off a shot. The President has upped the stakes and says Speight has threatened to kill the hostages. Speight however says he guarantees the hostages safety. Some reporters were allowed into the compound. Police are searching lots of vehicles and are arresting some people believed to be supporters of the coup leaders. Later these were taken to the Parliamentary compound with a police escort. The cordon around the compound was breached at one point and Speight said the lives of those in the compound - including media - would be threatened if security was breached again. All Fiji now awaits the outcome of a meeting of the GCC tomorrow morning. Sitiveni Rambuka expects division. Even Rambuka has said he agrees with some of the aspirations of Speight.

DPS MEMBERS TO FIJI: Two members of the Diplomatic Protection Squad have been despatched to Fiji to protect the High Commission. Phil Goff says that George Speight is a crook and that Fiji will become an international pariah if his government is acknowledged.

PETROL PRICES: Petrol prices up another 4 cents. Less than a week after a 5 cent rise. Caltex and Shell have increased prices. BP has held off so far. Consumers Institute concedes the price increase is reasonable.

RUSSELL COUTTS: Team New Zealand Americas Cup skipper Russell Coutts holds a press conference to announce his decision to quit the team and join a Swiss syndicate. More defections may also be imminent. The Royal NZ yacht squadron says sponsors have been confirmed and that contracts will be on the table this week to secure team members. Coutts said he couldn't accept conditions advanced under the Team NZ

SUE BRADFORD CLEARED: Charges against Green MP Sue Bradford have been thrown out by the District Court in Wellington. Bradford says it has always been ironic that she has been on bail on charges of trespass of Parliament even though she is now an MP. Some witnesses could not be found.

BARBARA CARTLAND: Dame Barbara Cartland dies aged 98 after 723 novels. She claims she never repeated a plot. Never a prude she once said she would look great photographed in the nude, when she was 95.

© 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.

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