Who bombed the Hilton?
Page 27
5 Kelly, P, Leitch, D, Summers, A, Clark, A, Hickie, D and Whitton, E, ‘The blast that shook Australia’, National Times, 20–25 February 1978, p. 7.
6 ibid., p. 8.
7 ibid., p. 12.
8 ‘Cowardly killer that knows no innocents: Australia in Bomb Club’, Sydney Morning Herald, 19 February 1978, p. 102.
9 ‘Aid for children of bomb victims’, Sydney Morning Herald, 18 February 1978, p. 1.
10 ‘“Ring Us” plea to bomb warning man’, Sydney Morning Herald, 16 February 1978, p. 1.
11 ‘Police frustrated in bomb investigations’, Sydney Morning Herald, 18 February 1978, p. 2.
12 Marks was contracted to act as a consultant. Mr Justice Hope conducted a review of all protective security. ‘Security gets a shake-up to combat terrorism’, Sydney Morning Herald, 24 February 1978, p. 1.
Thursday 16 February 1978
1 ‘Cowardly killer that knows no innocents: Australia in Bomb Club’, op. cit., pp. 55, 102.
2 ‘Information Received From [Redacted] Possible Suspect Slavko Puskic — Re. Hilton Hotel’, Hilton bombing records, Statements, 17/2/78. Item no. 9/8132. Records relating to the Hilton bombing. Cabinet Office. New South Wales State Records.
3 ‘Telex Message no. 2130 Received From [Redacted]’, Hilton bombing records, Statements, 17/2/78. Hilton bombing records, Running sheets extra. Item no. 9/8132. Records relating to the Hilton bombing. Cabinet Office. New South Wales State Records.
4 ‘Record of Interview Between Detective Sergeant BJ Borthwick and [Redacted] Taken At The Criminal Investigation Branch, Sydney, on the 21st February, 1978’, Hilton bombing records, Statements, 21/2/78. Item no. 9/8113.1. Records relating to the Hilton bombing. Cabinet Office. New South Wales State Records.
5 ‘Information Received From Senior Constable Johnson Of Criminal Records Office’, Hilton bombing records. Running sheets extra. Item no. 9/8132. Records relating to the Hilton bombing. Cabinet Office. New South Wales State Records.
6 ‘Cowardly killer that knows no innocents: Australia in Bomb Club’, op. cit., p. 102.
7 ‘Suspicious behaviour of a male person at AAEC on 13/2/78’. CIB. 17/2/78. Hilton bombing records. Running sheets extra. Item no. 9/8132. Records relating to the Hilton bombing. Cabinet Office. New South Wales State Records.
8 Rylance, BM, ‘Letter to Officer In Charge’, Hilton bombing records, Statements, 21/2/78. Hilton bombing records. Running sheets extra. Item no. 9/8132. Records relating to the Hilton bombing. Cabinet Office. New South Wales State Records.
Did the Hare Krishnas do it?
1 ‘Statement by SEARY, Richard John’, 22/2/78, Item no. 9/8113.1. Records relating to the Hilton bombing. Cabinet Office. New South Wales State Records.
2 ibid.
3 Wood, J, op. cit., Section 9, pp. 149–150.
4 ‘Letter to the Officer in Charge. Subject; Matter Reference. The Hilton bombing’. Received 23 May 1978. Hilton bombing records. Running sheets extra. Item no. 9/8132. Records relating to the Hilton bombing. Cabinet Papers. New South Wales State Records.
5 Wood, J, op.cit., Section 9, p. 150.
6 ibid.
The Bangkok Three
1 ‘Letter sent by AB’, Hilton bombing records. Running sheets extra. 16/2/78. Item no. 9/8132. Records relating to the Hilton bombing. Cabinet Office. New South Wales State Records.
2 Beere Inquiry. 22/2/78. Nemesis. ‘For Information of Detective Inspector Sheather.’ Item no. 9/8132. Records relating to the Hilton bombing. Cabinet Office. New South Wales State Records.
3 ‘Framed, say Australians on explosives charge’, Sydney Morning Herald, 17 February 1978, p. 1.
4 Helson/Watson Special Branch. Conference with the Vice Consul of India Mr Alagh and Detective Constable First Class Helson and PC Constable Watson concerning Indian terrorists and information that that country may hold regarding similar acts by Ananda Marga.17/2/78. Item no. 9/8132. Records relating to the Hilton bombing. Cabinet Office. New South Wales State Records.
5 ‘Summary of photocopies of passport of Jason Holman Alexander’, Running Sheet 199/2–4. 16/2/79 2000 Hrs and 17/2/78 0830 Hrs. Hilton bombing records. Running sheets extra. Item no. 9/8132. Records relating to the Hilton bombing. Cabinet Office. New South Wales State Records.
6 Helson/Watson Special Branch, op. cit.
7 What Norm is able to discover is that at some time in the past they were travelling with long-term Australian Margii members. Caroline Lee Spark left Australia on 11 March 1974 in company of Julie Pamela Brown aka ‘Kirana’ and Paul Maurice O’Callaghan aka ‘Narada Muni’ also known as Paul Alister (arrested for the pig’s head in 1977). Timothy Thomas Hilton Jones departed Australia on 29 January 1975 in the company of Constantin Pakioufakis and Beth Rosenberg aka ‘Shanti’.
8 ‘Secret. For Cabinet. Report on the Ananda Marga.’ FM Chaney, Minister for Administrative Services. 16/11/78. Cabinet Records — Selected Documents. Released 1.1.2009 NLA. Point 6.
9 Fax from CIB ‘RE: YOUR NR 472/2 Dated 16/2/78’, summary of interview with Mr and Mrs T Jones. Hilton bombing records. Running sheets extra. Item no. 9/8132. Records relating to the Hilton bombing. Cabinet Office. New South Wales State Records.
10 ibid.
11 Fax ‘Re. your tx 161/2 this date’, Hilton bombing records. Running sheets extra. Item no. 9/8132. Records relating to the Hilton bombing. Cabinet Office. New South Wales State Records.
12 ‘Framed, say Australians on explosives charge’, op. cit., p. 1.
From Scotland Yard to Newtown
1 Telex, ‘To Scotland Yard, United Kingdom’ by N. Sheather, Detective Inspector Third Class, Hilton bombing records. Running sheets extra. Item no. 9/8132. Records relating to the Hilton bombing. Cabinet Office. New South Wales State Records.
2 ibid.
3 ‘Inquiries carried out through the [Redacted] concerning a list of 75 names connected with the Ananda Marga sect with the view of ascertaining any [Redacted]’. 23/2/1978, Helson, Special Branch. Hilton bombing records. Running sheets extra. Item no. 9/8132. Records relating to the Hilton bombing. Cabinet Office. New South Wales State Records.
February to March 1978
1 ‘Photostat information — Possible Actions, re Gaoling of Trade Unionist in Fiji, Against Fijian Prime Minister Attending CHOGRM’, 21/2/78, Hilton bombing records. Running sheets extra. Item no. 9/8132. Records relating to the Hilton bombing. Cabinet Office. New South Wales State Records.
2 ‘Information Relative to Malaysian and Singaporean Groups in Australia With Terrorist Potential’, Hilton bombing records. Running sheets extra. Item no. 9/8132. Records relating to the Hilton bombing. Cabinet Office. New South Wales State Records.
3 Fax ‘59: Nemesis’ to Detective Inspector Sheather — CIB, sheet no. 1056, 23/2/78, Hilton bombing records. Running sheets extra. Item no. 9/8132. Records relating to the Hilton bombing. Cabinet Office. New South Wales State Records.
4 ‘Record of interview between [Redacted] and Nikolai Tordanov Daskalov at Russell Street CIB on 23/2/78 at 7.30 pm’, Hilton bombing records. Running sheets extra. Item no. 9/8132. Records relating to the Hilton bombing. Cabinet Office. New South Wales State Records.
5 ‘Man unable to aid bomb inquiry’, Sydney Morning Herald, 10 March 1978, p. 5.
6 ‘Information supplied concerning Victor Sedlacek — Hilton Enquiry’, 25/2/79, Hilton bombing records. Running sheets extra. Item no. 9/8132. Records relating to the Hilton bombing. Cabinet Office. New South Wales State Records.
7 Letter to ‘The Officer-in-Charge, Subject: Matter Reference: The Hilton bombing’, Hilton bombing records. Running sheets extra. Item no. 9/8132. Records relating to the Hilton bombing. Cabinet Office. New South Wales State Records.
8 Confidential telex sent to [Redacted], 1/3/78, Hilton bombing records. Running sheets extra. Item no. 9/8132. Records relating to the Hilton bombing. Cabinet Office. New South Wales State Records.
9 Text of letter to Inspector N Sheather, regarding Hilton Bombin
g, from Roma Nabaran, posted 18/2/78 and recorded 28/2/78, Hilton bombing records. Running sheets extra. Item no. 9/8132. Records relating to the Hilton bombing. Cabinet Office. New South Wales State Records.
10 ‘Record of interview between Detective Senior Constable MD Maher and [Redacted] at the Criminal Investigation Branch, Sydney on the 24th February 1978’, Statements. Item no. 9/8113.1. Records relating to the Hilton bombing. Cabinet Office. New South Wales State Records.
11 Statement by Fausto Parente to Leichhardt Police, 8/3/78. Statements. Item no. 9/8113.1. Records relating to the Hilton bombing. Cabinet Office. New South Wales State Records.
12 ‘Police seek woman over Hilton bomb’, Sydney Morning Herald, 4 March 1978, p. 5.
13 Brown, M, ‘Hilton bomb, NZ woman’s help sought’, Sydney MorningHerald, 6 March 1978, p. 1.
14 ‘Woman cleared in Hilton bombing’, Sydney Morning Herald, 7 March 1978, p. 3.
15 Running sheet 1125/1, ‘[Redacted] Information’, 14/3/78 at 2.30 pm, Hilton bombing records. Running sheets extra. Item no. 9/8132. Records relating to the Hilton bombing. Cabinet Office. New South Wales State Records.
16 ‘Information received from [Redacted] compiled by the general secretariat Paris — France re. terrorist’, Special Branch running sheets, 23/2/1978, Hilton bombing records. Running sheets extra. Item no. 9/8132. Records relating to the Hilton bombing. Cabinet Office. New South Wales State Records.
17 Passport and passport application documents, Hilton bombing records. Running sheets extra. Item no. 9/8132. Records relating to the Hilton bombing. Cabinet Office. New South Wales State Records.
18 Letter sent to His Excellency the Ambassador of India, Hilton bombing records. Running sheets extra. Item no. 9/8132. Records relating to the Hilton bombing. Cabinet Office. New South Wales State Records.
19 ‘Telex received from [Redacted] Sweden, re. Ananda Marga’, Special Branch running sheet 15/3/78, Hilton bombing records. Running sheets extra. Item no. 9/8132. Records relating to the Hilton bombing. Cabinet Office. New South Wales State Records.
20 Telegram, ‘Tldx Los Angeles CA’ to ‘Police CIB, Sydney/New South Wales Police Department’, received 12/3/78, Hilton bombing records. Running sheets extra. Item no. 9/8132. Records relating to the Hilton bombing. Cabinet Office. New South Wales State Records.
21 ibid.
22 Telegram ‘To Nemesis’ from Philippines Interpol P 3383/78, 9/3/78. Hilton bombing records. Running sheets extra. Item no. 9/8132. Records relating to the Hilton bombing. Cabinet Office. New South Wales State Records.
23 ‘Information relative to the Ananda Marga Inquiry’, Special Branch running sheet no. 8/5/177, received 9/3/78 3.30 pm. Hilton bombing records. Running sheets extra. Item no. 9/8132. Records relating to the Hilton bombing. Cabinet Office. New South Wales State Records.
24 ibid.
25 ibid.
26 As noted earlier, there are a few variations on the date that Sarkar’s appeal was denied. I have gone with 2 February as it appears in a number of primary sources in 1978. The 3 February date appears in Wood, J, op. cit.
27 ‘Information relative to the Ananda Marga Inquiry’, op. cit.
28 ibid., p. 109.
29 Special Branch Running Sheet 1139 from Helson, ‘Telex received from [redacted] regarding a plan by Ananda Marga to sabotage Indian and Republic of Korea embassies in Bangkok, Thai government premises or hijack Thai aircraft’, Hilton bombing records. Running sheets extra. Item no. 9/8132. Records relating to the Hilton bombing. Cabinet Office. New South Wales State Records.
Another bomb
1 Fax/teledex sent ‘To Scorpion Melbourne, Nemesis’ NR714/3, 25/3/78. Could be COMPOL? Hilton bombing records. Running sheets extra. Item no. 9/8132. Records relating to the Hilton bombing. Cabinet Office. New South Wales State Records.
2 ibid.
3 ibid.
4 ibid.
5 O’Reilly, N, ‘Gelignite bomb in envoy’s garden’, Sydney MorningHerald, 26 March 1978, p. 1.
6 ibid., p. 27.
7 ibid.
8 ‘Ananda Marga responsible for bomb, says diplomat’, Sydney MorningHerald, 27 March 1978, p. 2.
9 Report by Detective Sergeant Third Class MR Blaylock, ‘Explosive Device Examined at Commonwealth Police Headquarters, 25/3/78’, Hilton bombing records. Running sheets extra. Item no. 9/8132. Records relating to the Hilton bombing. Cabinet Office. New South Wales State Records.
10 ibid.
11 ‘Bomb Incident at Indian High Commission’ report, Hilton bombing records. Running sheets extra. Item no. 9/8132. Records relating to the Hilton bombing. Cabinet Office. New South Wales State Records.
12 ‘Diplomat suspect in bomb scare’, The Australian, 28 March 1978, p. 1.
13 ibid.
14 28 March 1978, ‘An employee of the Indian High Commission in Canberra, Suresh Kumar, was found hanged’, Appendix F ‘Chronology — A Background to the Inquiry’, Wood. J, op. cit., p. 1.
Shadowlands
1 Wood, J, op. cit., Section B, p. 159.
2 ibid., p. 160.
3 ibid., p. 159.
4 ibid., p. 160.
5 ibid., p. 160.
6 ibid., pp. 155, 157, 161–162.
28 March 1978
1 Special Branch running sheet no. 1147/5, ‘Photo-fit picture of possible suspect concerning bomb incident at Indian High Commission’s residence, 34 Mugga Way, Canberra, on 25th March 1978’, 29/3/78, Hilton bombing records. Running sheets extra. Item no. 9/8132. Records relating to the Hilton bombing. Cabinet Office. New South Wales State Records.
2 Holdich, R, Office of the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, Complaint by Mr Richard John Seary against the AustralianSecurity Intelligence Organisation: Final Report, op. cit., p. 12.
3 Wood, J, op. cit., Section 9, p. 160.
4 ibid., p. 160.
5 ibid., p. 159.
6 ibid., p. 170.
7 ibid.
8 ibid.
9 ibid., p. 304.
A new wave of terror
1 Special Branch running sheet 651/6 by Helson, ‘Information received from a confidential source concerning the sect Ananda Marga and the movements of Mathew Donald Meighan’, Hilton bombing records. Running sheets extra. Item no. 9/8132. Records relating to the Hilton bombing. Cabinet Office. New South Wales State Records.
2 ibid.
3 Wood, J, op. cit., pp. 37 and 164.
4 ibid., Appendix F, p. 8.
5 ibid., Appendix F, p. 9.
6 Letter to N Sheather re. ‘Hilton bombing — Information’, 26/4/78, Hilton bombing records. Running sheets extra. Item no. 9/8132. Records relating to the Hilton bombing. Cabinet Office. New South Wales State Records.
7 ibid.
8 Special Branch running sheet ‘Information Received from [Redacted] re. possible suspect for bombing’, 3/4/78, 11.00 am, Hilton bombing records. Running sheets extra. Item no. 9/8132. Records relating to the Hilton bombing. Cabinet Office. New South Wales State Records.
9 Tape 4, ‘27.5.78’, tape transcripts, interview between Richard Seary and ‘J’, and ‘G’, Tim Anderson — Papers, 1976–1992, ML MSS 6143/ Box 11, New South Wales State Library, Mitchell Library. Note: the recording was made on 27/4/78, ‘27.5.78’ is presumably a typo.
10 ibid.
11 ibid.
12 Molomby, T, Spies, Bombs and the Path of Bliss, Potoroo Press, Sydney, 1986, p. 294.
13 Seary’s stints in jail are detailed in Wood, J, op. cit., Section 9, pp. 105–108.
14 Tape 4, ‘27.5.78’, tape transcripts, interview between Richard Seary and ‘J’, and ‘G’, op. cit.
15 Wood, J, op. cit., p. 294.
16 ibid., Appendix F, p. 9.
17 ibid., p. 10.
18 Tape 1, ‘7.5.78’, Tape Transcripts, interview between Richard Seary and ‘J’, and ‘C’, Tim Anderson — Papers, 1976–1992, ML MSS 6143/ Box 11, New South Wales State Library, Mitchell Library.
19 AM newsletter, published by the publi
c relations department of Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha Australasia, May 1978, Running sheets marked 1(a)1–1(b)45. Item no. 9/8113.4. Records relating to the Hilton bombing. Cabinet Office. New South Wales State Records.
20 ibid.
21 ibid.
22 ibid.
23 Kuala Lumpur, Running sheet ‘Information received from [redacted] concerning an improvised explosive device placed in the tea room of Air India, Kuala Lumpur’, 12.5.78, details an IED placed in the tea room on the 14th floor of the Angkasa Raya Building, Kuala Lumpur, on 15 November 1977. It was found by an office cleaner who called police and left. The bomb exploded before the bomb squad arrived, and there were no casualties. Item no. 9/8132. Records relating to the Hilton bombing. Cabinet Office. New South Wales State Records.
24 ‘Copies of diagram for the manufacture of an explosive device …’ 10/5/78. Hilton bombing records. Running sheets extra. Item no. 9/8132. Records relating to the Hilton bombing. Cabinet Office. New South Wales State Records.
25 Tape 3, ‘15.5.78’, Tape Transcripts, interview between Richard Seary and ‘J’, and ‘C’, Tim Anderson — Papers, 1976–1992, ML MSS 6143/ Box 11, New South Wales State Library, Mitchell Library.
26 ibid.
27 Special Branch running sheet ‘Information received from [Redacted] re. Brandon alias Hoffman alias Alexander’, 15/5/78, Hilton bombing records. Running sheets extra. Item no. 9/8132. Records relating to the Hilton bombing. Cabinet Office. New South Wales State Records.
28 ibid.
29 Wood, J, op. cit., Appendix F, p. 10.
30 Brown, M, ‘Bomb blast rocks police HQ’, Sydney Morning Herald, 19 May 1978, p. 1.
31 Franklin, R, ‘Three months later, the Hilton inquiry looks like being a sad, lost cause’, Sydney Morning Herald, 21 May 1978, p. 9.
‘A full-scale terrorist war’
1 Record of interview, Statements. Item no. 9/8113.1. Records relating to the Hilton bombing. Cabinet Office. New South Wales State Records.
2 Wood, J, op. cit., p. 169.
3 Information concerning Ananda Marga member sect name ‘Japananda’, fax received 14.6.78, Hilton bombing records. Running sheets extra. Item no. 9/8132. Records relating to the Hilton bombing. Cabinet Office. New South Wales State Records.