Police dismiss ‘malicious’ call

Press, 22 June 1989, Page 6

Police dismiss ‘malicious’ call

PA Wellington The police said last evening an anonymous telephone call to a Hamilton minister earlier yesterday regarding the two missing Swedish tourists probably had “little substance.” There was probably a “malicious motivation” to it, Senior-Sergeant Bruce Raffan of the Hamilton police said. Earlier, the police confirmed an anonymous caller had contacted a city church with information which was initially being treated as a “very positive lead” in the search for Sven Urban Hoglin, aged 23 and Heidi Birgitta Paakkonen, aged 21. An appeal was made on the “Crimewatch” tele-

vision programme on Tuesday night for people involved in the theft of the couple’s car to pass on information. “I don’t think there is any substance to it (the call),” said SeniorSergeant Raffan. He said the call had been thoroughly investigated. The police spoke to the person named in the call but now doubted it had any great relevance. The couple have not been seen since they had haircuts in a Thames hair salon on April 7. Their white 1976 Subaru station waggon was seen parked at the end of a 7km track north of Thames on April 9, and was later found abandoned in Auckland on April 15.