Grace Road group Fiji president Daniel Kim is currently in Fiji immigration custody as he has been declared a prohibited immigrant, according to Immigration Minister Pio Tikoduadua.

Speaking to Fijivillage News this afternoon, Tikoduadua confirmed that Kim had been located and that he was a prohibited immigrant.

He said there was a court order that stopped Kim from being removed from Fiji now but the government was appealing against the court decision.

Tikoduadua confirmed yesterday that Daniel Kim was on the run after his passport was nullified by the South Korean government, and the Fiji government stated that it was unable to locate him.

Tikoduadua said seven other people from Grace Road in Fiji were wanted by the Korean government and this included acting Grace Road president Sung Jin Lee, Nam Suk Choi, Byeong Joon Lee, Jin Sook Yoon, Beomseop Shin and Chul Na.

Also on the run is Jin Sook Yoon.

Tikoduadua confirmed that the government of South Korea communicated through diplomatic channels on 21 September 2018 that they had nullified the passports of the seven individuals connected with the Grace Road cult.

Passports nullified
He said these individuals’ passports were nullified by the Korean government in relation to charges laid and a warrant issued for their arrest.

The Fiji Immigration Minister said that in July 2018, “red notices’ were published by Interpol referring to these individuals as “fugitives wanted for prosecution”.

He said all of these notices were ignored by the former government.

Tikoduadua said that using his discretion as Minister under Section 13(2)(g) of the Immigration Act, these individuals were declared Prohibited Immigrants making their presence in Fiji unlawful.

He said yesterday that a task force, consisting of police and immigration officers, began the removal of these individuals.

Kim had called a press conference at Grace Road Navua yesterday afternoon challenging claims by Tikoduadua that he was on the run and he had demanded an apology from the minister.

Kim also confirmed that two Grace Road members, namely Byeong Joon Lee and Boemseop Shin, had been removed from the country without the group’s knowledge or information about the removal process.

Republished from Fijivillage News with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

A group of 31 men on remand have escaped from a Papua New Guinea police station holding facility in Lae after taking the key from a guard who was fast asleep, reportedly drunk, police say.

Metropolitan Superintendent Chris Kunyanban said the officer guarding the facility – called the “watch house” – was suspended because he was allegedly under the influence of alcohol and had fallen off to sleep.

The 31 fled sometime between 1am and 6am on Wednesday morning.

“The cell guard was fast asleep after consuming alcohol with juvenile prisoners in the watch house. The detainees took the cell keys from his pocket, opened the cell gates and escaped,” Superintendent Kunyanban said.

He said the metropolitan police were alerted around 6.35am and managed to arrest four of the men on Seventh Street.

The other 27 were still at large.

Of the 31, 15 were facing charges relating to serious offences, six were charged with being in possession of dangerous drugs, and 10 for minor offences.

One facing murder charge
Kunyanban said of the four re-arrested, one was facing a murder charge while the other three had been charged with minor offences.

He called on the people, especially family members of the men, to assist the police in rearresting them.

He blamed the incident on the negligence of cell guards.

“The cell guard on duty has been suspended and investigation has commenced,” he said.

“The investigation will also look at the system in place, security protocols and standard operating procedures.”

There are more than 140 prisoners kept at the facility which should only be holding a maximum of 100 people.

Some have already been convicted and were awaiting their transfer to Buimo prison.

33 still at large
Meanwhile, police are yet to re-arrest the 33 who escaped from Buimo on August 14.

He said some of those on the run knew well how police conduct their operations. They avoid places where police frequent.

“It is becoming very hard. But we are relying on public assistance,” Kunyanban said.

Police suspect that some could have travelled to other provinces.

He warned people, especially family members, that harbouring criminals was an offence.

The Pacific Media Centre republishes The National articles with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz