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Inquest begins on fatal Sydney siege

Xinhua, January 29, 2015 Adjust font size:

An inquest into last year's Sydney cafe siege began on Thursday with the goal of discovering how gunman Man Haron Monis and two hostages died.

Families and friends of barrister Katrina Dawson and the cafe's manager Tori Johnson attended the hearing. Johnson and Dawson were killed after Monis took 17 hostages inside the Martin Place cafe on Dec. 15 last year.

Counsel Assisting Jeremy Gormly, SC, will update coroner Michael Barnes on the status of the investigation and set out how the inquest will proceed, however no witnesses will appear.

Two police officers from the team that stormed the Lindt Cafe, bringing to an end the siege and killed Monis, have asked the state coroner to keep their identities secret during the inquest.

Questions were raised in the aftermath of the siege as to how Monis, who had been charged with being an accessory to the murder of his ex-wife and with dozens of sexual assaults, had been out on the streets.

The inquest is expected to adjourn until later in the year. Endi