The Dominion Post
May 5 2004

Secret police files to be opened
by Paul Mulrooney

Thousands of secret files will be thrown open after a select committee ruled that a commission of inquiry, investigating past rape allegations against police, could inspect them.

Parliament's law and order select committee has recommended that temporary provisions in the Police Complaints Authority Amendment Bill be granted allowing the commission to inspect secret police files.

The commission should be able to decide itself whether some secret evidence should be suppressed, it has ruled.

The proposed change would throw open thousands of files containing the evidence of witnesses previously assured that their evidence would be kept secret.

Parliament is expected to debate the second reading of the bill tomorrow.

Police Association president Greg O'Connor believed the inquiry's objectives could still be achieved while maintaining the secrecy of names mentioned in secret evidence.

But the committee said the commission should have discretion to decide whether evidence should be suppressed. The inquiry was set up to investigate allegations by Louise Nicholas that she was pack-raped by Auckland police commander, Assistant Commissioner Clint Rickards, and two former officers, Bob Schollum and Brad Shipton. The men deny the allegations and say sex with Ms Nicholas was consensual.

Due to the inquiry's "unique circumstances" the bill's provisions should apply only to this commission, the committee said.

Mr O'Connor wondered whether such assurances could be guaranteed.

"Who is to say that once it's been done once, it won't be done next time?"

Mr O'Connor agreed the commission should have access to all the information needed but said there needed to be a guaranteed right of privacy on all PCA evidence.