Otago Daily Times
July 26, 2001

Ellis inquiry cost much less than $500,000 stated

Wellington: The ministerial inquiry into aspects of the Christchurch Civic Creche case cost less than a third of the $500,000 that Justice Minister Phil Goff stated when he made its report public in March, The Dominion reported this week.

Mr Goff revealed under the Official Information Act that the cost was $148,878.

Former creche worker Peter Ellis, who says he is innocent of charges that he sexually abused creche children, accused Mr Goff of besmirching him by making the $500,000 claim.

The inquiry, chaired by former chief justice Sir Thomas Eichelbaum, looked at the evidence of six of the creche children and concluded there was no miscarriage of justice when a jury in 1993 found Ellis guilty of 16 charges of abuse. He was jailed for 10 years and freed in February last year.

"If we are looking at a figure of $148,000, why say it was $500,000?" Ellis said.

"It looks like he was besmirching me by saying how much I had cost the taxpayer for an inquiry that just repeated I was guilty."

Mr Goff said the $500,000 figure was the amount budgeted for the inquiry.

A 1999 report on the case by former High Court judge Sir Thomas Thorp looked at much the same evidence as the Eichelbaum inquiry, but concluded there was "serious doubt about the safety of [Ellis'] convictions". The Government kept the Thorp report secret until it was revealed by The Dominion soon after the Eichelbaum report was published.

A cost breakdown of the Eichelbaum inquiry shows Sir Thomas was paid $40,612. A Canadian psychologist and English university lecturer who both reviewed evidence got $26,053 and $18,091 respectively.

Some creche families who maintained Ellis was guilty got $24,002 towards legal costs, with $15,064 for "facilitating legal representation between creche families and their lawyers", a total of $39,066.

Ellis' lawyer, Judith Ablett Kerr, QC, was paid $20,117. Administration costs and disbursements were $4939.