Sri Lankan teen evidence dilemma

By MATHEW DEARNALEY

Officials face a daunting task gaining evidence from the expelled Sri Lankan teenager about how her lawyer's notes reached Prime Minister Helen Clark's electorate office.

State Services Commissioner Michael Wintringham is still several days away from announcing the scope of an inquiry into how the notes left the Mangere Refugee Resettlement Centre.

Lawyers Philippa Cunningham and Carole Curtis lost no time yesterday seeking a reconsideration of the girl's case by new Immigration Minister Paul Swain.

Mrs Cunningham said it was most unlikely that the grandmother could have been responsible for supplying the notes, as claimed by former Immigration Minister Lianne Dalziel, as refugee centre officials did not provide photocopying.

She acknowledged that bringing the teenager and her grandmother back simply to co-operate with the inquiry would be "completely inappropriate" if they were not to gain permanent sanctuary here.

Meanwhile nuns have persuaded the girl to keep eating after warning her they could not remain responsible for her unless she accepted medical help.