Australia's Houdini-like conman back behind bars

SYDNEY, Feb 6 (Reuters) Australia's Houdini-like conman Peter Foster was back behind bars today, this time in his home country, one day after returning from the island nation of Vanuatu where he talked his way out of a prison over lunch.

Foster, once a confidante of British prime minister's wife Cherie Blair, returned to Australia last night and was immediately arrested on money laundering charges and remanded into custody by a court today.

Foster, 44, once a flamboyant playboy, is now Australia's most high profile conman who has been jailed on three continents for peddling bogus slimming products and using false documents.

In the past four months Foster has led South Pacific police on an island-hopping chase. Wanted in Fiji on fraud matters, Foster fled from police last October by jumping off a bridge, but struck his head on a boat's propeller and was dragged bleeding into the back of a truck.

In January 2007 Foster was out of jail on bail and claiming to work with Fiji's coup leader on uncovering evidence of corruption in the country's toppled government.

But Foster said he feared for his life and fled Fiji onboard an old Australian naval minesweeper, wading ashore on a remote Vanuatu beach holding his belongings.

Captured by Vanuatu police he was held in a police cell until he was sentenced by a court last week for illegally entering the country. But according to his own account, Foster managed to win early release from prison after a long lunch with his jailers.

Australian police were waiting for him at Brisbane airport to charge him with money laundering in a deal in the South Pacific nation of the Federated States of Micronesia.

Foster was remanded in custody until Thursday when a bail application will be heard. He faces up to 20 years in jail if convicted of money laundering.

REUTERS RL VV0836