Two New Zealand detectives left for the Solomon Islands yesterday to help investigate the assassination of a former police commissioner there.
Sir Fredrick Soaki, a National Peace Council member, was shot dead 11 days ago in Auki, the provincial capital of Malaita.
Sir Fredrick was killed while he was having a meal
with police, Government and United Nations Development Programme officials.
He had been working on a scheme to disband special constables in the Solomons.
Detective Inspector Bruce Good of Auckland and Detective Sergeant Neville Ross of Hamilton left for the Solomons yesterday.
A police spokeswoman said Solomons police had asked for assistance.
The pair would undertake general investigative work.
At the start of this month the Solomons swore in as Police Commissioner a Briton, William Morrell, who had been deputy chief constable of the Greater Manchester Police.
The Solomons have suffered a four-year-long civil war sparked initially on Guadalcanal Island.
The capital of the Solomons, Honiara, is on Guadalcanal.
Indigenous Guadalcanal people, resentful of the presence of Malaita Islanders, began a guerrilla movement operating under a variety of names to drive them out.
- NZPA
Herald feature: Feature: Solomon Islands
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