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The Press
September 6 1992
Prominent name confirmed on sex list
PA, Wellington
Prominent New
Zealanders are included in a list held by police of people who may have
sought child pornography, the Minister of Police, Mr
Banks, said yesterday.
In answers to questions in Parliament, Mr Banks
denied there had been any cover-up of the names.
The MP for Hawkes
Bay, Mr
Michael Laws, asked Mr Banks if it was true
"pedophiliac material has been brought into this country under
diplomatic immunity and then distributed" and "at least four
pedophile investigations in New
Zealand have been halted after pressure
was brought on police from some prominent people".
Mr Laws appeared to be quoting from articles of
recent weeks in the "Sunday News", which quoted an agent named Mark
who had reportedly cracked a child sex ring.
Mr Banks said the allegations of a cover-up were
"baseless and outrageous".
"The informant, the so-called Mark, was a civilian who approached the
police in 1990 and agreed to obtain pornographic video tapes," Mr Banks said.
"Subsequently, information supplied by this man led the police to make
several arrests in relation to the distribution of pornographic material.
"There is absolutely no evidence whatsoever, that the police have, that
there has been any cover-up by any agency in respect of these matters."
The "Sunday News"' mentioned a list that had been seized by vice
squad detectives during two dawn raids in September 1990 on homes of an Auckland pornographic
video dealer.
The newspaper also reported that names of several prominent New Zealanders
were listed; on an "international pedophile network being investigated
by the FBI and Australian police".
The Opposition's police spokesman, Mr Richard Prebble, asked Mr Banks in
Parliament yesterday if Mr Banks's
denials related to "Sunday News" reports as well.
Mr Banks replied: "My strong denial is to the
cover-up . . . that the police have
been pressured by some high-powered important people.
"I say to the members in this House that most of the information is
pieced together.
"But there is a list — I do not have a copy of the list — that does name
prominent New Zealanders that have inquired after pornographic literature
either in this country or Overseas involving young children," Mr Banks said.
"It is only a list. I haven't seen it.
"But what I am saying is I can tell the House that there has been no
cover-up by the police in these matters.
"There certainly has been no pressure on the police to have such a
cover-up take place,"
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