365 Days - Still No Answer To Saudi Sheep Question
365 Days - Still No Answer To Saudi Sheep Question
12 JUNE 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
The Taxpayers’ Union is frustrated that despite having a year now passed since Murray McCully’s Saudi Sheep deal was exposed publicly, taxpayers are still none the wiser as to the apparent “legal threat” which justified $11.5 million dollar gift to a Saudi businessman that resulted in 900 sheep perishing in a Saudi desert.
Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director, Jordan Williams, says:
“Murray McCully told the public that there was a legal threat, but despite numerous people asking both via the Official Information Act and via the Auditor General, no one has been able to point to a single document, agreement, or potential claim that would in any way justify this spending.”
“It could be that there was nothing untoward in the Government chartering a 747 to fly 900 sheep to Saudi Arabia for them to all die, but without transparency how are we to know that this isn’t as deplorable as it looks?”
“Chequebook diplomacy will continue to happen unless the Auditor General completes her report and issues it soon. Alternatively the Ombudsman could force the department to answer the very simple question of what the apparent claim was.”
“The question we’ve been asking requires a one sentence answer. The fact that it’s taken a year and we still don’t have it arouses more even suspicion that the Government has something to hide.”
ENDS