NZ Herald
February 15, 2004
Top Waikato cop stood down as police pack rape probe continues
NZPA
A second
A statement from the Office of the Commissioner confirmed today that
Louise Nicholas, the woman whose complaint that she was pack raped by a number
of policemen in Rotorua in the 1980's is also in the dark over the latest move.
Superintendent Powell was interviewed on Thursday by police conducting the
inquiry into the Louise Nicholas complaints.
He is the second police boss to have been stood down since the investigation
was relaunched last month.
Assistant Commissioner Clint Rickards, the commander of the
The statement said Detective Inspector Bruce Scott has assumed command of the
"The criminal inquiry team under deputy commissioner Steve Long has today
confirmed that Supt Powell is an individual of interest to their
investigation," police said in a statement. "... The nature of the
interest of the inquiry team into Mr Powell is unable to be disclosed at the
present time as the investigation is still in its early stages and there is no
wish for the overall investigation to be compromised or prejuudiced
in any way."
Mrs Nicholas alleges she was pack-raped by assistant commissioner Clint
Rickards, Bob Schollum, now a Napier car dealer, and Brad Shipton, now a
Tauranga city councillor, when all three were policemen in Rotorua in about
1986.
The three have strongly denied the allegations. The commissioner's statement
said: "Speculation that Supt Powell might have been the fourth man
relating to Mrs Nicholas's allegations against Clint Rickards, Brad Shipton and
Bob Schollum is incorrect according to the inquiry teams's
current information."
Mrs Nicholas has said there was a fourth man present when she was allegedly
pack raped.
Mrs Nicholas, who has been interviewed by police since Friday, had found the
process difficult, said her husband Ross.
"It would be hard on anyone doing what she is doing,"he
said.
Powell's first job was as an 18-year-old constable at the Rotorua police
station. The Star-Times understands Powell also worked for a short period at
the Murupara police station.
Superintendent Nick Perry, in charge of the inquiry into Nicholas' allegations,
said Supt Powell was interviewed by police on Thursday, and was among 30 people
who have been interviewed by eight officers from outside the Rotorua police
district in the last week.
Messrs Shipton, Schollum and Rickards are yet to be interviewed.
Superintendent Perry said several names had been put forward as the fourth man
who witnessed the alleged pack-rape.
"This person is still a mystery at this stage."
Police Minister George Hawkins said the stand down of Superintendent Powell
would "heighten" public confidence in the police. He said it showed
police were eager to move quickly, and "leave no stone unturned."
However, police colleagues, who described Powell as "a good boss" and
"highly regarded", were shocked, according to the Sunday Star Times.
Greg O'Connor, of the NZ Police Association, said Superintendent Powell was
known as a police officer who had worked "all the hard stations".
"Kelvin is very well regarded by his troops. His troops are going to be
really shocked. We will wait and see."
Mr O'Connor urged the public to suspend judgment until all the facts were
known. "There is a real danger that any names that come up will suffer
damage to their reputations. Once the allegations are made it is very difficult
for people to get their reputations back."