Unionists questioned on bombing motives

Press, 14 April 1984, Page 8

Unionists questioned on bombing motives

PA Wellington The police had interviewed most members of the Wellington Tramways Union by last evening in their hunt for leads on the Trades Hall bomber. Detectives are looking for the bomber’s motive in their interviews with the 400 bus drivers and 200 auxiliary staff because the bomb was planted the day after the ous strike and outside the Tramways Union office in Trades Hall. The union members have been asked if they know of anyone holding anti-union views, including former Wellington City Council transport department staff.

Two identikits of suspects are being shown to the workers and a Radio Windy tape of a caller who claimed to know who planted the bomb is being played to them. The tape suggests a connection between the bomb and previous day’s bus strike. Detective Senior-Sergeant Bill Bishop said that the Tranways Union was not being singled out. If the police did not get what they wanted from this inquiry, they would move on to other unions. Detectives had already seen officials from many other unions. Mr Bishop said the transport department staff had

been “extremely co-opera-tive and very helpful” about the extensive police interviews.

The police are still getting calls from people who think they recognise the faces shown in two identikits of suspects but Detective Senior-Sergeant Bishop said no-one had yet said they had seen the faces in the Trades Hall area on March 27. He said sightings were just as important to the police as possible identities.

Radio stations began playing the Radio Windy tape again yesterday after the police received numerous calls from people who wanted to hear it again.