The Herald
February 4, 2004

Police cover-up allegations:
Mayor unaware of allegations against Rickards
by Louisa Cleave

Auckland City Mayor John Banks says he was not told of historical allegations against Clint Rickards when he was promoted to the city's top police job.

Mr Banks said he was also not briefed on the case during his time as police minister between 1990 and 1993, when a Police Complaints Authority investigation was conducted into Louise Nicholas' rape allegations.

"To the best of my recollection I was never briefed on these matters, for which I am more than a little bit disappointed and quite surprised," Mr Banks said.

Mr Rickards had arrived in Auckland with "fine credentials" and a background of mana as a senior Maori officer.

Mr Banks said his close friends Rex Miller, the retired senior officer who has criticised police handling of the allegations, and Detective Inspector Gavin Jones, who has stepped in to run the Auckland police, had never mentioned the sexual allegations against Mr Rickards.

"If someone had told me then I would have made the same observation as Rex Miller . . . that these matters need to be attended to."

Mr Banks said he had been briefed by an assistant commissioner from the Office of the Police Commissioner.

He had also received a phone call from Mr Jones, who reassured him that it was "business as usual" in Auckland