Israelis will get fair trial says PM

By KEVIN TAYLOR political reporter

Prime Minister Helen Clark has dismissed suggestions from the lawyer for one of two Israeli citizens accused of passport fraud that media coverage was prejudicing a fair trial.

Grant Illingworth, QC, lawyer for Urie Zoshe Kelman, said yesterday he would complain to the Solicitor-General and ask him to consider contempt of court charges against various media because publicity the case had attracted was "gravely prejudicial".

He would also apply to the High Court to have the charges dismissed partly because they believed they could not get a fair trial and partly because the evidence was inadequate to support the charges.

Helen Clark said: "I see already that lawyers for the accused are using the excuse that the news media in New Zealand is doing its job to try and claim that these two people will not get a fair trial.

"I absolutely reject that.

"They will get a fair trial and justice will run its course."

Asked if any New Zealand authorities were aware of the location of the two men - who are on bail - Helen Clark said she was not commenting on any operational arrangements.

"I think it's very important that the executive arm of government keeps its distance from a police prosecution and a court process."

Helen Clark said the case was brought to her attention before Easter.

She declined to comment yesterday on the New Zealand Government's dealings with the Israeli Government over the arrest of the two Israeli citizens.

Her reticence was in marked contrast to acting Foreign Minister Jim Sutton's comments in yesterday's Herald, where he revealed the "riot act" was read to Canberra-based acting Israeli Ambassador Orna Sagiv. The ambassador was summoned to Wellington from Canberra - Israel's nearest diplomatic post - a week ago.

Mr Sutton told the Herald that she did not deny the Government's suspicions that the men were Mossad spies but that she did not confirm it either.

He said the Government had demanded "a full acccounting".


On Friday night, Helen Clark confirmed to the Weekend Herald that the Government had raised the matter directly with the Israeli Government but she could not comment further.

"There will be a strong and public response to this matter once the court action has concluded."

"You will find that I have very little to say on the matter while a court case is in process."

Asked if she had talked to Mr Sutton about his comments, Helen Clark said it was important that no comments were made that might prejudice the pair's trial. She added: "Having said that, I don't think anything he's said has done that."

A spokeswoman for Mr Sutton said last night he had not been reprimanded for his comments.