All the players,

Greenpeace Case

All the players, but no drama

Those who expected extended high theatre from the trial, in Auckland, of the two French secret service agents charged with bombing the Greenpeace vessel, Rainbow Warrior were deeply disappointed last month. The spies pleaded guilty not to murder, of which they had been originally charged, but to a reduced charge of manslaughter and were sent back to jail to await sentencing at the end of the month.

As the cohorts of the in ternational media glumly folded their tents and prepared to depart, allegations arose that New Zealand’s government had done a deal with the French.

Mr Lange strenuously denied there had been any trade-off.

However, the French defence minister, Mr Quiles, said in Paris that there had been “discreet contacts” with the N.Z. govern ment over the case, although he did not go into detail.

This was sharply rejected by the N.Z. Attorney General and deputy prime minister, Mr Geoffrey Palmer, who said it was “preposterous” to suggest that a political deal had been struck with France to reduce the charge of murder to one of manslaughter.

The French external affairs minister, Mr Dumas, also claimed that negotiations had occurred over the court case, and said they were continuing over the release of the two accused agents, Major Alain Mafart and Captaine Domini que Prieur.

For a third time Mr Lange denied there had been nego tiator, let alone a deal, on a government-to-government level.

The plea of guilty was accepted by Judge Ronald Gil bert in the District Court in Auckland, which meant that no detailed evidence about the attack upon the Rainbow War ror would be heard. And that would avoid considerable embarrassment for the French,

in particular their spy depart ment, the D.G.S.E.

The lesser charge of man slaughter was brought by the N.Z. Solicitor-General, Paul Neazor, who appeared per sonally. He told the court the prosecution accepted that Mafart and Prieur were not personally responsible for plac ing the explosives on the ship and had no intention of killing anyone.

“The Crown also accepts that the guilty plea means a signifi cant acceptance of the con sequences of the act of sabot age,” Mr Neazor told the court.

Murder warrants remain in place for three other French agents whose whereabouts, presumably in France, are un known. The French govern ment has refused efforts by the NZ police to obtain their ex tradition.

The two accused stood side by side in the dock and were charged in their real names: Alain Michel Yves Mafart, 35, major of the French army, and Dominique Angeles Francoise Prieur, 36, captain of the French.

Both answered with the Eng lish word “guilty” when asked to say how they pleaded to charges of wilful damage to the ship and that they “caused the death of Fernando Pereira ...”

In New Zealand manslaugh ter carries a penalty ranging from a reprimand to life impris onment. (Murder carries a man datory life sentence with a minimum non-parole period of seven years).

Speaking outside the court Greenpeace chief, David McTaggart, said: “President Mitterrand, Hemu and Lacosle should have been in the dock. ”

Hernu was the French defence minister at the time of the attack on July 10, and General Lacoste the chief of D.G.S.E.

McTaggart said the reduction of the charges made no differ ence to Greenpeace’s de termination to pursue com pensation for Pereira and the loss of the Rainbow Warrior.