Channel 9 reporter Liam Bartlett and his 60 Minutes production crew are reportedly under house arrest on the island of Kiribati.
Radio New Zealand (RNZ) reported that the five-member crew was detained soon after it arrived in the central Pacific island nation on Monday.
RNZ Pacific reported the 60 Minutes will be deported to Fiji on Thursday.
RNZ Pacific quoted a government source as saying the five-member TV crew were arrested shortly after their arrival on the island.
It is understood they are under police supervision at the Utirerei Motel until a flight out of the country on Thursday.
The Kirabati government tightened the criteria for media permits in the wake of the sinking of a ferry last year, which killed 95 people.
A crew from the New Zealand media organisation, Newshub, were detained last year when they arrived in Kiribati to report on the ferry disaster.
Pacific Islands News Association (PACNEWS) reported the crew arrived in the Kirabati capital Tarawa on a flight from Nadi in Fiji on Monday and were immediately detained after they “falsely declared that they were in Kiribati for a meeting”.
“From my understanding the 60 Minutes crew is still in Tarawa and will return on their intended flight back on Thursday,” PACNEWS quoted a senior government source as saying.
“They are however being detained due to their entry into the country under false pretences,” the official, who wished to remain anonymous, said.
He said crew was advised prior to their arrival to apply for a filming/research permit in order to get clearance from Immigration on arrival.
“When they arrived they declared that they were here for a meeting and failed to mention their filming intentions thus the false declaration grounds. If they had applied for their permits before arrival as advised, this would not have happened, said the official.
The government of Kiribati is expected to make a statement later today.
The post <i>60 Minutes</i> detained in Kiribati, under house arrest at motel: reports appeared first on The New Daily.
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