Fed: Diplomat apologises over Kovco body bungle

AAP General News (Australia)
08-04-2006
Fed: Diplomat apologises over Kovco body bungle

SYDNEY, Aug 4 AAP - A senior Australian diplomat involved in the bungled repatriation
of Private Jake Kovco's body from Iraq has apologised to the soldier's family.

Alastar Adams, first secretary at the Australian Embassy in Kuwait, made the apology
after giving evidence to the inquiry into Pte Kovco's death today.

He told the hearing at Victoria Barracks in Sydney that he was the one who mistakenly
placed the official Australian Embassy seal on a coffin belonging to a Bosnian carpenter
instead of that of Pte Kovco's at a civilian morgue in Kuwait.

As a result, the Bosnian's body was sent to Australia while Pte Kovco's corpse was
left in Kuwait.

"I understand the family of Pte Kovco may be there (at the inquiry), if I could offer
my very sincere condolences," Mr Adams said via a video-link from Kuwait.

"I am aware of the pain that they have been through.

"The whole incident certainly is very much to be regretted and I am very sorry and
sympathetic for what they have gone through."

Pte Kovco died on April 21 after being shot in the head in his Baghdad barracks.

Mr Adams was with two Australian soldiers and an air force warrant officer at the Kuwait
morgue to make the final checks needed for the return of Pte Kovco's body to Australia.

One of the soldiers was the designated escort for the body.

Mr Adams said he believed it was up to that soldier, codenamed 2, to ensure the right
remains were repatriated.

However, Mr Adams had a photocopy of Pte Kovco's passport photograph with him at the
morgue and joined Soldier 2 in looking in the coffin of the body the morgue staff presented
to them.

After taking a quick glance at the body, neither Mr Adams or Soldier 2 raised any concerns,
despite the fact the Bosnian carpenter's corpse had been wheeled out by morgue staff.

Mr Adams then waited for the coffin to be sealed and then stamped it with the embassy's
official wax emblem, a requirement of the morgue.

The lawyer representing Pte Kovco's interests, Colonel Les Young, asked Mr Adams why
he was satisfied the body was that of the Australian soldier.

"I relied on soldier 2," Mr Adams said.

"His failure to raise any alarm assured me that his colleague was there and it was
safe to send that coffin and send the remains home.

"My expectation was that he would be visually able to identify Pte Kovco."

AAP bt/hn/grc/sd

KEYWORD: KOVCO DIPLOMAT

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