Bid to avoid deal claims

Press, 13 November 1985, Page 39

Bid to avoid deal claims

PA Wellington The Prime Minister, Mr Lange, has said he ordered the postponement of Rainbow Warrior reparation talks in New York to avoid allegations of deals involving the confessed bombers. He told a post-Cabinet press conference that he made the decision to curtail the talks until after the judicial process had run its course to prevent wild suspicions being turned into some semblance of plausibility.

“It is better not to have any prospect of anyone misconstruing it,” Mr Lange said.

He said the Oppositions members of Parliament,Mr Winston Peters (Tauranga) and Mr Paul East (Rotorua), should “not be given any

more rope to hang themselves.”

“It has been conspicuously around their necks so far,” he said. “But the more they got anywhere near me I would rather they did not have that rope.” Asked why the negotiations began in New York before the judicial process had run its course Mr Lange said the Government had not calculated on people not being able to accept the truth of what was stated. He said he had discussed the talks with the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs legal section, Mr Colin Keating. Major Alain Mafart and Captain Dominique Prieur have pleaded guilty to manslaughter.