Bomb suspect clear

Press, 7 March 1978, Page 6

Bomb suspect clear

PA Wellington The Lower Hutt woman questioned yesterday in connection with the Hilton Hotel bombing in Sydney had nothing to do with the fatal explosion the Sydney police said last evening. Penelope Ann Page, aged about 22, was named in Sydney press reports as being sought by Svdney detectives who thought she could help with their inquiries into the bombing. They asked the Wellington police to find her, but before they did she contacted them herself yesterdav. She was questioned for several hours and the information she gave was sent to Sydney.

The deputy head of the Sydney C. 1.8., (Detective Superintendent J. Black) said Miss Page told the police she was on holiday in Sydnev at the time of the bombing. He said he was satisfied she had nothing to do with the explosion which killed three men on February 13. Miss Page could not be contacted at her home in Waiwhetu, Lower Hutt last evening. Her family refused to answer any questions and said they had contacted their lawyer. She arrived in Sydney on Februarv 10 in the evening, and booked into the Oceanic Motel, in Congee. Before leaving on February 12 she went sight-

seeing with a man she met This man later told the police that she had expressed strong opposition to the abortion policy of the Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon). A young woman was seen to put a brown cardboard parcel in a rubbish tin outside the Hilton between 1.50 p.m. and 2.10 p.m. on February 12. Miss Page checked out of her motel that afternoon, and the reason she gave satisfied the police. Unless the public came forward with further information their inquiries were almost at a dead end, said the detective in charge of the investigation (Inspector N. Sheather).