Yachtie at centre of inquiry sails out

Press, 11 February 1986, Page 3

Yachtie at centre of inquiry sails out

PA Napier The Swiss yachtsman at the centre of a police and Customs investigation has left Napier without waiting for a decision on whether he should be charged with committing a Customs offence.

Napier customs officials said yesterday that they had no power to detain Phillipe Romailler, who sailed out of Napier Harbour on Saturday. The Collector of Customs in Napier, Mr Cyril Wilson, said Mr Romailler was thought to be heading north.

Mr Wilson said Mr Romailler had stayed at Napier voluntarily while the police and Customs investigated the circumstances of his arrival in New Zealand.

Once the investigation showed there was nothing

sinister about the yachtsman’s actions and that he was the sole occupant of the yacht Oneden, Mr Romailler’s passport and other papers were returned. “Although he left without telling us, there was no way we could hold him for the type of offences we believe he committed,” Mr Wilson said.

He described the alleged offences as minor. “I am not at all surprised that he left. He has been restless for some time. He likes the sea life and it was fortunate that he stayed long enough for us to complete the inquiry,” Mr Wilson said.

Mr Romailler was expected to call at another port rather than leave New Zealand waters.

If Napier Customs did decide to lay charges, Mr Wilson said, all New Zea-

land ports would be notified so the counts could be served.

If the charges were laid and the yachtsman left New Zealand, the case would be noted in Custortis records and the charges re-laid if he returned to New Zealand. Mr Romailler was first spoken to by Customs last Tuesday and was prevented from sailing from Napier when the officials realised he had not made a Customs declaration.