We have just learnt that the Ombudsman knew nothing of the release of the partial file on the stolen Brash emails this week by Howard Broad and his team at Police National Headquarters.
As we predicted, the file was nothing more than blank or blacked pages and press clippings. But here's the kicker - the police released them in that form without consulting the Ombudsman! The words of GuyonEspiner are ringing in our ears, Cover up - whitewash.
There will be more on this saga in the coming weeks.
Whale has been digging deep about Rangi . You need to read it. Here
Seems we have the indymedia in a frenzy - No denials - they are just sobbing saying how unfair we are. Get over it we say - live by the patu and all that.
And there are some timing issues everyone needs to understand. The police were investigating the email theft before Brash asked them to.
Police were first notified of the alleged theft of emails on 30 August 2005. They began their investigation on 28 September 2006.
It was in effect, one of the slowest, longest investigations in police history.
Very exciting Radio with Pictures this morning. Guyon the ever serious information seeker was a tad outraged and we dont see that very often. He used words like "whitewash" and "coverup." after he received a leaked copy of the police file into the stolen/hacked Brash emails.
The police have written nothing about much ado, according to the guiding one.
We completely agree. What is very good is that when Guyon does get his incisors into a meaty story he will chew on it till he gets to the marrow. So we await with breathless anticipation his ruthless endeavours to get to the bottom of this suspicious and complex tale that goes to the heart of parliamentary security.
And when Guyon and all the other shiny bummed scribes in the press gallery get a nanosecond to spare can they please ask the GCSB where on earth their annual report is? What does it say? Is there another story here?
Speaker Lockwood Smith wants police to brief him on their investigation into the alleged theft of emails from former National leader Don Brash to assure himself that Parliament's computer system was not hacked into.
Dr Smith said Parliament's computer security specialists had a "pretty high level of confidence" that the system had not been accessed, but he wanted to know what police had found.
Brash reckons he wont every find out who stole them. Maybe he is right. However, what we want to know is why they were stolen and why the police investigation was so shoddy and what the hell the secrecy was all about. And TV3 have also mentioned the burglary of Diane Foreman's home. ( she was Brash's par amour) what was taken- was it really expensive stuff or just really interesting stuff?
So what are these national secrets that are so secret that we are not even allowed to know why they are being kept secret?
The File on the Brash emails at Police National Headquarters.
Matthew Hooton has the whole saga into today's dead tree copy of the NBR. They wont put the column on their on line site. We reckon that's at Hootons request because he is trying to save the New Zealand Forestry industry. He does a bit of work for them from time to time... We digress.
Anyway - Hooton has a bit of a thing about the Stolen Brash emails that were used by Nicky Hagar to form his flight of fancy book - the Hollow Men. Brash remains incensed that the police never seem to consider it a high priority.
Hooton lodged an OIA in May 2007. Two years later and the police are about to release something. It will probably be blank papers, a radio transcript or two and some press clippings. And Hooton has been lucky enough to secure the services of Kensington Swan pro bono. They are well known Rottweillers on this sort of stuff so the story is so very far from over. Initially the policewouldn't release the file because they reckoned it would compromise the investigation.
Brash was told nine months into the investigation that those in receipt of the emails had not been interviewed because the police were a tad busy with APEC.
Then in April 2008 senior plod Harry Quinn closed the file and announced that to the media. He said to Brash he would send him the file. He never did.
Then in mid 2008 the police changed their story and told Hooton the file was still open.... This is the last few paragraphs of Hooton's Column today. Its better than a bloody spy novel.
After Mr Quinn’s announcement, my staff redoubled our efforts to obtain the file. In mid-2008, however, PNHQ changed its story, advising the chief ombudsman that the file, which they had announced was closed, was in fact open.
Initially, the chief ombudsman, then new to the job, was sucked in to the PNHQ position. Even when PNHQ later confirmed that the investigation was “inactive”, she claimed she should “err on the side of caution”, despite the law demanding a presumption in favour of release.
Her provisional opinion agreed with PNHQ that releasing the file would prejudice the maintenance of law in New Zealand. Even more extraordinary, she ruled that her reasons for reaching this view needed themselves to be kept secret. That’s when we called in the lawyers.
Conspiracy Theories
PNHQ’s bizarre behaviour has fuelled all sorts of conspiracy theories. Ms Clark spun the yarn that an MP’s spouse was responsible for the theft. The professionalism of the operation led some to speculate about the SIS. Marginally more plausible are theories involving rogue officers at the Government Communications Security Bureau, given author Nicky Hager clearly had a source within that agency for his internationally-acclaimed Secret Power. One of the Urewera 17 has also been mentioned in Wellington IT and legal circles.
It is not healthy in a democracy for such conspiracy theories to gain currency. It is more likely that a politically-motivated PNHQ simply decided it was better to let sleeping dogs lie, and even more likely that they just botched the investigation. Whatever the truth, there is a clear public interest in every comma of the file being released, just as it was for paintergate.
So like us we reckon at this point you will be a little more than concerned about just what is concerning the police and the ombudsman. But we will bet the house that Hooton and Kensington Swan will find out. And more importantly it is an issue that should cause the Prime Minister enough concern to call a full inquiry.
Roarprawn has expected this story to hit the headlines for some time. See the Herald O'Brien did an interview on Campbell live late last year.
We at the Prawn got an email from Patrick about a month back saying he used Roarprawn to keep up with events and that he was on a journey round the country to seek out those who's lives he had impacted.
He is on his own journey of redemption, so to speak.
Roarprawn is a blog by people of the Global village who hate bad shit
This blog is about politics and stuff and just so it doesn't get too boring, it's also about other news that takes our fancy or irks us and food and wine . Roarprawn was started by Bustedblonde. A feisty gal who knew her shit and was scared of bugger all apart from wasps, and shipwrecks. And if you want to join us or comment or give us a tip, then email the Brunette on brunettenz@gmail.com
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