Checkpoint. 2003-11-19

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2003
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144497
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Rights Information
Year
2003
Reference
144497
Media type
Audio
Item unavailable online
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RNZ Collection

The Justice Minister says there's an investigation underway into forty-one thousand-dollars paid in legal aid to a Chinese student, who's been convicted of 39 charges, including kidnapping. His family subsequently paid 64-thousand in victim reparation and today in Parliament outraged Opposition MPs have demanded to know if the money paid to the student will be recovered. Yiyu Zhang (yee yoo zhang) pleaded guilty to 39 charges, including kidnapping, in the Waikato District Court earlier this year, where he was sentenced to ten and half years in prison. But now there's pressure for the legal aid to be repaid, given the fact the family was able to pay tens of thousands of dollars in [illegible]. Here's our political reporter, Jane Patterson. PKGE
A doctor charged with disgraceful conduct over his care of Mark Burton, has today defended his actions, saying there were no indications that Mark was going to kill his mother once released from hospital. Dr Peter Fisher is giving evidence to the Medical Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal in Invercargill. Our reporter Nathan Mills has been at the hearing and joins us now. LIVE WITH DROPINS
The Pakuranga MP Maurice Williamson has taken the first step towards returning to the National Party fold. Mr Williamson has written to the party's Board of Directors asking it to review the decision to suspend his party membership. The Board met in Wellington today for the first time since Don Brash was elected leader. Our political reporter Julian Robins joins us now...PKGE
The latest figures from the Real Estate Institute reveal that the average house is worth 20 per cent more than it was at the same time last year. House prices have been particularly strong in Nelson, Marlborough, Wellington, Otago and Auckland. But some areas have bolted even further - houses in Southland for example, are now worth 70 per cent more than they were a year ago. Catherine [illegible] reports. PKGE
Police in California are conducting a massive search of the home of popstar Michael Jackson. A search warrant was ordered on the request of the local District Attorney who is conducting what he calls an ongoing criminal investigation.
Details of that investigation are already beginning to surface as our Washington correspondent Owen Fay reports. PKGE
1720 BUSINESS NEWS WITH PATRICK O'MEARA
Inland Revenue says tax evasion [illegible] involving immigrant seasonal workers in agriculture is costing the country millions of dollars each year. But the Department is pointing to a two year jail sentence handed down to one company director as evidence that a crackdown is having an impact. IRD spokesperson Martin Scott says the scams involve contractors who hire fruit pickers and other seasonal labourers to work on farms. The contractor deducts income tax off the workers wages and keeps the money. Mr Scott says 14 million dollars has been ripped off in this way over the last two years, and in Tauranga alone there up to 40 investigations into agricultural contractors. PREREC
1730 HEADLINES
SPORTS NEWS WITH RICHARD CROWLEY
President. Bush as begun his visit to Britain amid some of the tightest security London has ever seen. An opinion polls suggests more Britons back the visit than oppose it, but tens of thousands of demonstrators are expected to march in the coming days. CUT Prince Charles met Mr Bush and his wife, Laura at Heathrow Airport before they travelled via helicopter to Buckingham Palace - as the BBC's Monica Soriano explains. PREREC
A four day hunt for a man wanted in connection with the shooting of a police officer in Hastings has so far turned up nothing, and police say it's extraordinary that there's been no sign of 53 year old Graham Jason Walsh. A team of 30 has been searching for him since Saturday night after Constable Warren Smith was shot in the shoulder as he attempted to issue a speeding ticket. Detective Inspector Godfrey Watson is heading the investigation - he joins us now. LIVE
A proposal to build a mega-mall on the outskirts of Palmerston North has met with dismay from many shoppers and businesses in Manawatu. The massive 40 hectare big box develoopment is proposing to attract big store retailers which don't rely on shop frontage to attract customers. It is being supported by a consortium of prominent businessmen in the city. Our reporter Jill Galloway went to investigate. PKGE
The Ministry of Agriculture says a new deadly pig disease found on a Waikato farm cannot be eradicated and now the pork industry is to ask three pig farmers with either confirmed or suspected cases, to close down. The three farms are under quarantine, and have movement restrictions, while restrictions have also been placed on pigs being moved between the North and South Islands. The Ministry of Agriculture says it will be impossible to eradicate PMWS, or Post Weaning Multisystemic Wasting Syndrome which has a high mortality rate in [illegible] weaner pigs, and there is no known cure. But the pork industry wants to at least try and contain it. Angus Davidson is the Pork Industry Board's chief executive and he joins me now. LIVE
The Australian crocodile hunter who's now spent a week in Hong Kong trying to capture a rogue croc says it's proving far harder than he thought. Crocodiles are not native to Hong Kong and it's believed this one is either an escaped pet, or that it escaped from a farm on the Chinese mainland. So far it's avoided cages baited with chicken, as well as officials with tranquilliser guns and nets - I asked crocodile hunter John Lever why it's proving so elusive. PREREC
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