PRESS RELEASE

Rt. Hon Winston Peters Leader NZ First

December 30 2011


“TEACUP TAPE CASE DOES NOT INVOLVE ATTORNEY GENERAL” PETERS

New Zealand First says the Attorney General cannot claim court costs from a free lance cameraman over the teacup tape court case because the case does not involve the government – just the National and Act parties.

Rt. Hon Winston Peters says legal wires have been crossed by the case because it was mistakenly taken up by the government’s own legal system when it should have simply involved lawyers for John Key and John Banks.

“This case happened during an election campaign when the National Party leader met an Act party candidate to stitch up a deal for the Epsom electorate. It had nothing to do with an affair of state or anything related to the office of prime minister.

What has happened is that the National Party, acting for political purposes, is using taxpayer resources to have a fight with a private citizen.

This is abuse of power and it is also illegal.

Our advice to the cameraman is to ignore the Attorney General’s demand for court costs and to make a claim himself against John Key and John Banks, who in this matter are simply private citizens.” says Mr. Peters.

ENDS

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