NZ Herald
February 2, 2004
Police cover-up allegation
Responses from the accused
Statement by lawyer Daniel McLellan,
Acting for Clint Rickards, Brad Shipton and Bob Schollum
My clients are deeply concerned by the coverage in the Dominion Post and by
repetitions of it in other media. Senior counsel Julian Miles, QC, has been
retained and we will be discussing the implications of the publication with our
clients early this week. They have no further comment
to make in the meantime other than the statements already made to the Dominion
Post which are now provided in full.
Any repetition of the story in other media will be in full knowledge of my
clients' strong denial of the allegations and of the serious damage that the
story is doing to their reputations and to their families.
Statement by Clint Rickards, 29 January
2004
A woman's recent serious accusations about events nearly 20 years ago have no
substance whatsoever. A full police investigation in the early 1990s completely
cleared me of any wrongdoing.
Publication of these allegations by the media will inevitably cause great harm
and distress to my family and me.
I believe it would be absolutely irresponsible for any news media organisation
to give the allegations credence by publishing them.
Statement by Brad Shipton
I have been asked to respond to serious allegations made recently to a reporter
by a woman which she first made in the early 1990s
when I was an officer in the New Zealand Police. I denied the allegations
absolutely then, and I deny them absolutely now. They were the subject of a
thorough police investigation about 10 years ago and as a result I was cleared
of all allegations. The reintroduction of these unfounded allegations will
cause me and those close to me both harm and distress. It would in my view be
totally irresponsible for these false allegations to be given any publicity.
Statement by Bob Schollum
The serious allegations a woman is now making were first made and dealt with by
the police more than 10 years ago. I was then a police officer and underwent a
careful, thorough investigation by senior police officers.
I was completely cleared of the allegations. Her allegations have absolutely no
foundation.