Fiji: Boat operator charged over death

A man has appeared in a Fiji court charged with manslaughter over the death of an Australian tourist in a boat collision off the South Pacific nation last week.

Jimi Beti, 33, faces charges of manslaughter, criminal recklessness and negligence over the death of 40-year-old Mark Hardaker, from New South Wales.

Hardaker was returning from a fishing trip last Thursday when a speedboat driven by Beti, a Fijian, allegedly crashed into his vessel.

Hardaker was rushed to the nearby Mana Island Resort medical centre, where he died of head injuries.

The court was told Beti was operating the boat without a licence.

He was refused bail and remanded to appear in Lautoka High Court on June 4.

Hardaker was holidaying on Mana Island with his family at the time of his death.

Tourism is the nation’s highest foreign exchange earner, with more than 700,000 Australians and New Zealanders travelling to Fiji annually.