Questions raised over death of Saudi man in Waikato

The Saudi Arabian Embassy in Canberra is reported to have asked New Zealand police about the death of a Saudi student whose body was found in the Waikato River.

Fahd Ibrahim Al-Salamah, 25, whose body was found in the Waikato River on October 28 was buried in Riyadh yesterday.

A Saudi Arabian newspaper alleged there were two bullets in the body, but a police spokesman in Hamilton said today there was no homicide inquiry in relation to the death, and they had no idea where claims about bullets might come from.

The body arrived in Riyadh on Wednesday night, the Saudi Gazette reported in its online edition.

The newspaper claimed that Mr Al-Salamah disappeared after crashing his car while being pursued by a police patrol shortly before midnight on October 18.

Officers were reported to have last seen him running toward the Narrows Bridge over the river, but when he was found 10 days later, there were alleged to have been two bullets in his upper body.

The Saudi Embassy in Australia told the newspaper that police found Mr Al-Salamah's body 30km away from where he had initially fallen in the river.

"His body was found with two bullets at the upper part, the embassy said," the newspaper reported. "It is not clear yet how he was killed.

"A working team from the embassy left for New Zealand to follow up investigations."

A police spokesman told NZPA that he only knew police had been looking for a body, and they had found one - any other details would have to be sought from the constable in charge of the inquiry, who was not immediately available.

Earlier police said they and Waikato coroner Gordon Matenga had been working closely with the Saudi Embassy in Australia to keep the victim's family informed and ensure they understood the circumstances of his death.

- NZPA