Sacked TV man tells of mystery yacht

Press, 9 May 1979, Page 6

Sacked TV man tells of mystery yacht

The dismissed South Pacific! Television reporter, Keith Davies, told Auckland radio listeners yesterday of a mysterious yacht sailing between New Zealand and Asia, and said this was a key part of his now-dropped “Eye Witness” television programme on drugs. Mr Davies told the Radio Pacific talk-back host. Gordon Dryden, that his investigations had shown how the yacht was shadowed by Air Force planes from both Australia and New Zealand and had been closely monitored by drug squads in both countries and also in Asia.

Mr Davies was this week dismissed by SPTV after he sent a memorandum to his superiors demanding to know why they were not running the programme. The memo iwas leaked to a Wellington newspaper and Mr Davies’ employers apparently hold him responsible. This, however, has been denied by Mr Davies, according to SPTV sources.

He also spoke of the possible involvement of lawyers

in the drug trade, whether knowingly or not. He told Mr Dryden that one lawyer featured in his programme, the only one completed in a series of three.

Mr Davies, however, spoke of three lawyers and said “two courageous young men” had gone before the cameras to tell what they knew about hard-drug trafficking. One Christchurch man is believed to have given his solicitor information to pass on to police heads, alleging) money had been offered ini criminal circles to have his) credibility as a witness des-1 troyed. _ This mformation has yet to be forwarded to the police.

Earlier the police were mystified in Auckland and Wellington as to why' SPTV had not officially: given them the programme) to view, for comment, as suggested by a Queen’s Counsel, Mr Lloyd Brown, advising the network. It is believed that Mr Davies’s memorandum was (prompted by what he saw ias delays by SPTV in doing this.