Waikato Times
October 4 2004

Rickards study claims denied

Police today denied claims the former Waikato police chief at the centre of pack-rape allegations is studying at a university in Sydney and making regular trips back to New Zealand while on full pay.

The police general manager of human fesources, Wayne Annan, said Clint Rickards and his partner Tania Eden had contacted him in the wake of a Sunday newspaper story to say claims made in it were not true.

Assistant Commissioner Rickards has been stood down since January after Rotorua woman Louise Nicholas alleged he and former police officers Brad Shipton and Bob Schollum raped her in the 1980s.

The three men deny the claim.

Inspector Eden was to transfer from Wellington to Auckland in February, after Mr Rickards was made Auckland district commander.

Police said suggestions in yesterday's story she was told to take stress leave were completely untrue.