The Serious Fraud Office decision NOT to prosecute over the Magnum transaction is a total disgrace, said the New Zealand First Leader, Rt Hon Winston Peters.

“First the IRD, and now the SFO, have made decisions which are seriously flawed and spineless. These decisions fly in the face of all the legal decisions made in eight years of court cases and imply that corporate tax fraud is acceptable.

“The Crown Solicitor in Auckland clearly wished to go ahead with a prosecution over the Magnum case but was stifled for reasons that can only be described as “baffling.”

“It is up to the Courts to decide whether a prosecution is successful – not bureaucrats. Every case brought so far in relation to the Winebox – right to the Privy Council – has indicated that there is a case to answer yet these officials won’t proceed.

“There is blood all over the floor, all over their hands, yet they appear to want a signed confession before they will act.

“The reasons given by the SFO and IRD shows that there has been collusion between officials. Last year, when the High Court found in my favour, they failed to appeal because they knew they could not win on legal grounds.

“Now, from a bureaucratic ivory tower, they are stopping a prosecution and their lack of spine means that no New Zealanders should bother paying their taxes.

“It defies legal logic,” said Mr Peters.

© Scoop Media