Transcript
ROD HENDERSON: I am concerned that the woman who was aboard would be forgotten about. That her passing, or whatever it might be, will be forgotten. And I would like to think that she could get some justice and that the case won't be just forgotten. That is my prime reason.
DON WISEMAN: It could be a simple case of this woman unfortunately falling overboard and it happens at sea, doesn't it?
RH: Oh it certainly does and in fact I wasn't alerted to this case at all until the 5th January it was and that is nearly six months after the event. And I thought you are right people do fall over board. There are accidents. But then when I heard that the skipper of the boat, once he had been given permission to leave the island and tried to scuttle it the yacht and sink it. A quite valuable vessel. Then I thought, no, there is more to this than meets the eye.
DW: So why did he try to scuttle his boat, do you think?
RH: That is probably the $64 question. I am advised that when he left and he left with a couple of pieces of fruit, no provisions on board. No water and got about 20 nautical miles out and put out a pan pan, which is sort of a distress level, below the SOS, saying he had hit an object and his boat was sinking. Now when the patrol boat went out and made a rescue they found that the water level in the boat was up to the bench top level, the table top level. And they were able to convince him that the boat was salvageable, but he wanted it to sink. Now that to me begs belief and why did he want to sink it, I am not sure, I am not sure why he would want to sink it. But there are questions. Was there evidence aboard that he didn't want anyone to find or what? What was his motive?
DW: I spoke with the Cook Islands police commissioner last month. He told me there was an ongoing investigation and he wasn't very forthcoming about anything else in terms of this. He says this chap, the owner skipper, was allowed to leave the country which he has done because there was no reason to hold him in the Cook Islands. What is it that you want Cook Islands police to do?
RH: What I would seek and I would think the relatives of this missing woman would want as well would be a full coronial inquest into her disappearance. Now this is well covered in the Cook Islands Coroners Act where if somebody does go missing and there is no body, which is the case in any sudden death situation. Then the coroner can petition the minister, the relevant justice minister to convene an inquest. And I think it is paramount in this case that that is what happens and that the truth comes out. Anybody who has anything to say who has any evidence. Including the police should present what they have and that it all be brought out into the open.
DW: It is an event that happened on the high seas. Do you think the Cook Islands police are thinking, well, is it really our problem?
RH: Yes, well if they had have thought that then they should have done a little bit of research and found out that they might not have been the people who were responsible. I would have thought that the ship itself, the yacht, Zangano, was flying an Australian flag. The maritime law seems to suggest that the country of the origin of the yacht has a responsibility. I would have thought that the Cook Islands would have at least brought in New Zealand experienced police who have much more resources and experience than our local people do.
DW: Lets say the Cook Islands authorities don't go for a coronial enquiry. Then what happens?
RH: Well there are precedents where they should do it and this is where lawyers may have to come into it and that is why I am most anxious to try and find out more about this missing woman. Her people need to know what is going on. She is from Venezuela, apparently, but I can't find any real trace of her. Not in the usual internet searches. And I was hoping if I had have seen the police file that would have disclosed something. But I am going to Australia tonight and I will find out a bit more when I get there.
