Reward in murder inquiry

Press, 28 June 1989, Page 1

Reward in murder inquiry

A reward of up to $25,000 has been posted for information leading to the conviction of the people who murdered the missing Swedish tourists, Urban Hoglin and Heidi Paakkonen. The police put up the incentive yesterday in a bid to get a breakthrough in the inquiry, which is in its ninth week. The couple were last seen on the Coromandel Peninsula in early April. The police are now convinced they were murdered. The reward will remain in force until March 31 next year. The amount paid out will be

determined by the Commissioner of Police, Mr John Jamieson. It will be apportioned if there is more than one claimant. “An indemnity will be considered for any accomplice as long as he or she was not the principal offender and on the condition that they first give such evidence or information,” said Mr Jamieson. A spokesman for the Swedish Embassy in Wellington said his Government would not add to the reward. “It is not our policy to interfere with another country’s

police handling of an inquiry,” said Mr Anders Bauer. “We are appreciative of the step being taken. It is a good initiative.” The officer in charge of the investigation, Detective Inspector John Hughes, said the indemnity would apply to anyone responsible for taking the couple’s white Subaru car from the Coromandel Peninsula to Auckland. The police have not been able to find out who stole the Subaru and drove it to Auckland and they say they are “desperate” to solve this part of the incident.