Sunday Star Times
November 7 2004
$183,000 inquiry a waste, says QC
by Rachel Grunwell
Top QC Peter Williams says
the commission of inquiry into police conduct over the past two decades has
wasted $183,000 of taxpayers' money by starting too early.
The commission of inquiry
- begun in March after historic rape allegations by Rotorua woman Louise
Nicholas - is on hold until February. That month a separate police
investigation - started last February - is due to decide whether past or
present officers should face criminal charges.
Williams said it was
outrageous the commission of inquiry had been operating at all while police
were investigating the possibility of criminal charges.
"The whole thing is
a shambles," said Williams.
Any former or current
officer involved would have been advised by lawyers not to take part in the
commission of inquiry if criminal charges could later be laid against them and
evidence used, Williams said.
Internal Affairs
spokesman Colin Feslier said according to his
department's annual report, the commission of inquiry would have cost about
$183,000 up to July this year.
Costs included wages for
High Court judge Bruce Robertson and former public servant Margaret Bazley, as well as investigators' costs, computers and rent
for the commission's headquarters.
Meanwhile, 19 police
officers are into their tenth month investigating whether charges should be
laid in several cases against current and past officers accused of rape.
The Sunday Star-Times
understands the police case, which at stages involved 25 investigators
interviewing hundreds of witnesses in several different cases, has also been
costly.
Police, including several
from
The Star-Times estimates
police wages on the cases alone so far would be well in excess of $1 million.
Police headquarters
spokesman Jon Neilson refused to give cost details or comments until inquiries
were completed.
A police source, who did
not wish to be named, said the investigators were taking their time, being
meticulous about their inquiries and were cautious about laying charges in the
Nicholas case. If charges were laid, the case would have to be watertight
because of the huge public scrutiny the inquiries could come under.
Nicholas alleges she was
pack-raped and violated with a police baton at a Rotorua police house in the
1980s. She claims the incident was covered up by a senior officer.
The accused are assistant
police commissioner Clint Rickards and two former officers, Bob Schollum and
Brad Shipton, who all say they had consensual sex with Nicholas and deny rape.