FIJI — Detectives from Manchester have travelled to Fiji to probe the death of a teenager on a paradise island. Luke Molnar, 17, was electrocuted three years ago on the South Pacific island of Tokoriki, where he was helping to protect coral reef on a volunteering holiday. The student, from Stretford, was hurled to the ground after touching a metal washing line that had come into contact with an electric cable. The cable had been attached to the line to provide lights for a staff Christmas party at a nearby shack. A couple from New Zealand - Christopher and Fiona Folland - made desperate attempts to resuscitate Luke but he died. An inquest into the teenager's death, planned for last July, was dramatically halted when Greater Manchester Police stepped in and announced they wanted to investigate. Now the M.E.N. can reveal that two Greater Manchester Police detectives flew to New Zealand on Tuesday to speak to the Follands before moving on to the island to quiz other witnesses. The officers have travelled at the request of the south Manchester coroner, John Pollard. It is understood they are investigating the role of the company that organised Luke's trip and accommodation at the resort. They are trying to establish if there is any evidence of gross negligence or corporate manslaughter. However, sources stressed there was no evidence at this stage of any offence. Manslaughter Local police have already charged an electrician with manslaughter but the case has not yet reached court. A report by the Fijian Electrical Authority found wiring in and around the staff accommodation where Luke was staying was 'below standard' and was a 'very high-risk situation just waiting to happen'. It added: "The victim could have been alive today if the resort owners followed strict electrical wiring standards." Luke - who lived on Derbyshire Road, Stretford, with his mother Gill, father Steve, and sister Sophie, 22 - was killed on Tokoriki in August 2006. Eco travel company, Coral Cay Conservation, is under investigation for gross negligence and manslaughter in the death of diver conservationist, Luke Molnar. | | Diver conservationist, Luke Molnar, 17, died on a trip promoted and sold by eco travel company, Coral Cay Conservation. The teenager had run to help a friend after hearing him scream. The friend had been removing a T-shirt from the washing line and received an electric shock which threw him more than three feet. It later emerged that the insulation around the electrical cable had worn away, causing the washing line to become live. There was no doctor on the island and no comprehensive medical kit. Bad weather meant it was impossible to bring a sea plane or helicopter to the island. A government boat was seen in the bay and radio contact established a doctor was on board. The owner of a local dive shop took Luke in his boat across choppy water to the doctor, but he pronounced him dead. Luke - a passionate diver and conservationist - had been on a break from his A/S levels at Knutsford High School in Cheshire. His trip was organised by Coral Cay Conservation and cost £3,300. In a statement police said: "GMP is investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a 17-year-old boy in Fiji in August 2006. As part of the investigation senior officers from the Major Incident Team are travelling to Nadi and Tokoriki Island at the invite of the authorities in Fiji to make inquiries there. Mrs Molnar said: "We have waited for this for a long time and it gives us a lot of encouragement. We are grateful for the work that GMP is doing. We hope it will bring answers to some of our questions and get us closer to the truth of what happened." by Neal Keeling |
