Doha fire ruling 'very disappointing' - McCully
Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully says it is "very disappointing" the convictions of five people responsible the Qatar mall fire that killed 2-year-old Kiwi triplets have been thrown out…Nineteen people…died as a fire ripped through the Gympanzee childcare centre in a Doha mall in 2012…A Qatari judge has now thrown out the convictions of four people convicted of involuntary manslaughter and a public servant charged with forgery in relation to the blaze…None of the five people convicted -- including Gympanzee childcare co-owners, the Villagio mall's chairman and manager and a public servant -- will serve any jail time…In the Court of Appeal ruling, Judge Abdalrahman al-Sharafi said he was throwing out all the testimony from family members that led to a guilty verdict, arguing they could not be witnesses and plaintiffs in the same case. He found the company that owns the shopping centre guilty of manslaughter -- meaning the only avenue left for families is to seek financial compensation...