21 Jun 2004

Fiji Labour minister keen to facilitate deployment of former soldiers to Iraq

3:11 pm on 21 June 2004

Fiji's Labour minister, Kenneth Zinck, says he will hold a meeting this week to help facilitate the deployment of 500 former soldiers to Iraq.

They've been held up after the ministry asked to see the contracts drawn up by British company, Global Risk Strategies, which is represented locally by Lt. Col. Sakiuasa Raivoce.

Lt. Col. Raivoce says the company policy is for the contracts to be signed once the former soldiers arrive in Iraq, and he doesn't know why the ministry is intervening now, twelve months after the first deployment went.

Mr Zinck says it's normal procedure and he doesn't believe there will be any problem.

"I've called for a meeting sometime this week so we can sit down and see exactly where we can facilitate that 500 going. Any company that comes and takes our boys to Iraq or any part of the world for employment, is welcomed by our ministry."

Labour minister, Kenneth Zinck.

Lt.Col. Raivoce says he knows nothing about any meeting and he doesn't know if the company will agree to the contracts being looked at by Fiji authorities.