A New Zealand man spent a “wretched” night in a Fiji jail after police raided his Freemasons meeting when frightened residents suspected witchcraft, the New Zealand Herald reported.
The man, who did not wish to be identified, blamed “dopey village people” for the raid on the island of Denerau in which 14 members of the Freemasons Lodge of Lautoka were herded into police cars and jailed for the night.
Police also seized lodge paraphernalia, including wands, compasses and a skull.
The man told the Herald that Tuesday night’s meeting was “interrupted by a banging on the door and there were these village people and the police demanding to be let in.”
Nothing sinister was going on but “such is the nature of life in Fiji” they were taken to a nearby police station and hauled over the coals, he said.
The lodge secretary showed police a copy of the permit allowing the meeting, but was told the permit was not the problem.
He said the group had to spend the night locked up in conditions that were hot and uncomfortable because “there was nowhere to lie down.”
Police director of operations Waisea Tabakau told Legend FM News in Fiji that the group were being investigated for “allegedly practicing sorcery”, the Fiji Village Web site reported.
The New Zealand man said that when they were freed the following morning, they were told their release was on the orders of the prime minister’s office.
Freemasonry is a centuries-old, worldwide fraternity which traditionally practices secret rituals. Its members deny there is anything pernicious about the rituals. (AFP)
《紐西蘭先鋒報》報導，一名紐西蘭男子在斐濟參加共濟會集會時，因受驚的居民懷疑他們施行巫術，報警上門搜查，結果他被拘留在警局過了「悽慘」的一夜。
這名不願意透露身份的男子指責這群「愚蠢的村民」帶著警方到丹娜努島上的勞托卡共濟會會所臨檢，把十四名成員押上警車，帶回局裡關了一晚。
警方查扣了會所中的相關物品，包括手杖、羅盤和一個頭骨。
這名男子對《先鋒報》表示，星期二晚上聚會到一半，「突然有人大力敲門，這些村民和警察要求進門搜查。」
他說，他們沒有從事什麼邪惡之事，不過「這就是生活在斐濟的寫照」，他們被帶到鄰近的警局去斥責了一頓。
會所幹事拿了一張聚會許可函給警方看，但警方卻說這和有沒有許可函無關。
他說，他們整個晚上被關在警局，那裡又熱又不舒服，因為「完全沒有地方可躺」。
「斐濟村」網站報導，警方行動指揮官外希．塔巴高向斐濟《傳奇廣播新聞》表示，共濟會因疑似「施行巫術」而遭到調查。
這名紐西蘭籍男子表示，他們隔天早上獲釋時，被告知是總理辦公室指示警方放人的。
共濟會是一個有數百年歷史的全球兄弟會性質組織，該組織傳統上會舉行秘密儀式。該會成員否認這些儀式是在施行邪術。
（法新社╱翻譯：袁星塵）
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