6 Jul 2005

Fiji police hope to recover bodies of three teenage girls

8:25 am on 6 July 2005

Fiji's police commissioner, Andrew Hughes, says there is some hope of recovering the bodies of three teenage girls killed by Dip Chand and dumped at sea near Rakiraki.

Navy divers will today begin a search of waters near Malake Island where 42-year old Chand told police he killed the three sisters, aged 17, 18 and 19, by tying their bodies to the anchor of his boat and submerging them under water.

On Monday, he pleaded guilty to ten counts of rape of another set of three girls, two of whom were minors, over a period stretching from 2001 to last month.

Mr Hughes, who's travelling to Rakiraki today as the search gets underway, says further charges will be laid against Chand today

"FIJI CHARGE TP"

IN: We understand the DPP is in favour of charges of murder, and we expect that if the ordinary chain of events occurs this morning, he will be charged with three counts of murder.

DUR: 14

Fiji's police commissioner, Andrew Hughes.