22 Jun 2005

Fiji police boss dismayed at process of removing prosecutor

6:52 pm on 22 June 2005

Fiji's police commissioner says the manner in which the former deputy director of public prosecutions, Peter Ridgway, was removed from the country is "totally disgraceful".

Andrew Hughes has told Radio Legend that he is "bitterly disappointed" at the "very shabby manner in which a very senior prosecutor was ordered to leave."

Mr Ridgway, an Australian national who had been spearheading coup prosecutions for four years, was issued an order to leave Fiji within 24 hours, or face arrest, imprisonment in Suva Jail and forcible deportation.

Mr Hughes says people will draw their own conclusions, but in his view in the two years he had worked with Mr Ridgway on coup investigations, he had found Mr Ridgway to be a thoroughly professional and highly competent prosecutor.

Mr Hughes says Mr Ridgway has his utmost respect and he is bitterly disappointed that people have elected to treat him in this way.

Meanwhile, the immigration authorities are reported to have withdrawn the departure order and had invited Mr Ridgway to their office so they could apologies.

But just before his departure, Mr Ridgway said he was in no mood for apologies and his focus was to look after his wife and leave Fiji with as much dignity as he could muster in the circumstances.