In this week’s Across The Ditch Australian radio 5AA’s Peter Godfrey and EveningReport.nz’s Selwyn Manning discuss how the a Rainbow Warrior saboteur has revealed himself. Also, 3News reports Serco has been fined $1.09 million for its running of Mt Eden Prison. ITEM ONE Citing David Robie’s article on EveningReport.nz) One of two DGSE agents who planted two bombs on the Rainbow Warrior ship in Auckland Harbour 30 years ago has revealed himself. The bomber, retired colonel Jean-Luc Kister, spoke this week about how he lives with the knowledge that he caused the death of an innocent man. France’s act of terrorism in New Zealand back in July 1985 killed Portuguese-born Dutch photographer Fernando Pereira. Fernando died immediately after the bomb tore a gaping hole in the hull of the Greenpeace flagship, causing it to fill with water and sink while tied to Auckland’s Marsden Wharfe. His revelations were pitched in interviews with the investigative website Mediapart and TVNZ’s Sunday programme. Regarding Operation Satanique: The bomber said: “the first bomb was too powerful, it should have ended as a Watergate for French President François Mitterrand”. Kister told Mediapart’s editor Edwy Plenel:“Thirty years after the event, now that emotions have subsided and also with the distance I now have from my professional life, I thought it was the right time for me to express both my deepest regret and my apologies.” The skipper of the Rainbow Warrior back then was Pete Wilcox. After hearing about the confession, Wilcox said: “Mr Kister must now stand as an admitted murderer, and there can be no quibbling on this. This includes [the late] President François Mitterrand and the rest of the team that both planned and executed the crime.” Respected journalist and academic Professor David Robie was onboard the Rainbow Warrior during, what was to be, its final journey through the Pacific and onto New Zealand. He said in his article published this week on EveningReport.nz: “This was a blatant act of outright terrorism, not just state-sponsored terrorism, by France against a friendly nation and a peaceful environmental organisation, Greenpeace, committed under orders. (ref. David Robie’s article on EveningReport.nz) “All the highest level perpetrators who gave the orders – right up to the president’s office in Paris – did this callously and with impunity,” David Robie said. ITEM TWO: TV3 last night reported that Serco, the international company that the New Zealand Government pays to run Auckland’s Mt Eden Prison, will be fined more than $1 million for breaches and failings of its contractual obligations. The Government pays Serco annually $31,500.000.00 to run Mt Eden Prison. Citing documents released to the news network, 3News reported Serco will be pinged $1,090,000.00 for fines totalling $615,043 for: • Failure to control prisoners $50,000 • Unlawfully mixing inmates $100,000 • To meet reporting targets $150,000 • Failing to keep serious assaults down $315,043 And fines pending of $475,000 for: • Unlawful detention $25,000 • Failing to meet education targets $50,000 • Twice failing to ensure prisoner safety $200,000 • Breaching serious assault targets $50,000 • Death in custody $150,000. All this against the company which the Minister of Corrections Sam Lotu-Iiga promoted favourably only months ago, and which the Minister of Social Development, Anne Tolley said two months ago could be considered to run elements of the Government’s welfare operation. In its defence, Serco stated: Serco says Mt Eden is a busy prison with challenging inmates, and safety and security are its top priorities. (ref. 3News.co.nz.) Across The Ditch broadcasts weekly live on FiveAA.com.au and webcasts on EveningReport.nz and LiveNews.co.nz and ForeignAffairs.co.nz.]]>
