Fed: Minister stops short of apology over Kovco body bungle

AAP General News (Australia)
04-27-2006
Fed: Minister stops short of apology over Kovco body bungle

MELBOURNE, April 27 AAP - The grieving family of the Australian soldier accidentally
killed in Iraq will have to wait until at least Saturday to claim his body, after the
wrong casket was flown to Australia.

Defence Minister Brendan Nelson today expressed his regret that Private Jacob Kovco's
body failed to arrive in Melbourne this morning as scheduled, but stopped short of apologising
for the bungle that resulted in someone else's body flown from Kuwait.

Dr Nelson said a private mortuary in Kuwait appeared to be responsible for the mistake.

He refused to apologise on behalf of the government until an investigation identified
who was to blame.

"I am not in a position at the moment to express sorrow, if you like, on behalf of
the Australian government, and let's just find out what the cause of it was first," Dr
Nelson told reporters at Melbourne Airport.

"Let's get him back and then let's find out what happened before we start assigning blame."

Dr Nelson and Chief of Army Lieutenant-General Peter Leahy flew to Sale near the Kovko
family hometown in south-eastern Victoria to tell Mr Kovko's family of the mixup.

He said Pte Kovco's wife Shelley was upset by the news and spoke to Prime Minister
John Howard overnight.

"Needless to say the Kovco family were quite distressed," Dr Nelson said.

"(The prime minister) had a conversation with Mrs Kovco in which she expressed her
disappointment and distress that her husband's casket had not been dispatched to Australia."

The 25-year-old private accidentally shot himself while cleaning his weapon in Baghdad on Friday.

He was a member of the 110-strong security detachment in Iraq's capital to protect
Australian officials.

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KEYWORD: KOVCO BODY 2ND LEAD

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