Hager responds to police cover-up allegations

Hager responds to police cover-up allegations

Amanda Fisher
13 May, 2009

Author Nicky Hager is frustrated he has not had the opportunity to publicly respond to Don Brash’s contentions the police investigation into the leak of over 400 of his emails was compromised by political interference.

Mr Hager said he had not been approached by anyone other than TV3 – who were unable to make contact with him – to ask for a response to Dr Brash’s claims.

“It’s really amazing...they [Brash’s supporters] were defaming me and punishing me for what I did to them and no [journalist] rang me to check they were on the right track.”

Mr Hager refuted Dr Brash’s accusation that he had used information acquired from a break-in at the house of supporter Diane Foreman.

“Why would I want to have anything to do with an old man’s mistress? It’s so ridiculous.”

The latest bout of attention surrounding the case was a result of National Party public relations work and not because the censorship of the police file had genuine news value, he said.

“It wasn’t journalists that pursued this, it was a PR guy.”

Prime Minister John Key told The Dominion Post on May 19 that he had questioned National members who had been a speculated source of the leaked emails, and all had reassured him of their loyalty.

This followed Dr Brash’s recent claims that the censored version of the police investigation into the leaked emails, which comprised the basis of Hager’s The Hollow Men which ultimately derailed Dr Brash’s political career, was a political cover-up.

Dr Brash told TV3 the police inquiry had been a joke, and anything of interest in the file had been censored.

Mr Hager said police censorship of OIA-requested material was not unusual. A fuller police disclosure would further clear him of any wrong-doing.

“The police are really terrible under the Official Information Act. This is quite normal for them. I wish they’d release more.”

There were various reasons for the censorship and, though complete investigation files had previously been released in high-profile investigations, “there are lots of other police cases where they don’t release information”, Mr Hager said.

The police were not at liberty to release the parts of the file which contained information he had given them, he said.

“I spoke to them on the basis of confidentiality so of course they are not going to release that.”

Other parts of the file would not be released in order to protect parliamentary security and procedures, he said.

Mr Hager was satisfied the police investigation had established the emails were leaked rather than stolen as much as was possible.

“You can’t prove a negative. They can’t prove I didn’t break in.

“It’s complete stupidity – for the first 2 years they [Brash’s supporters] went on about how someone had obviously hacked into Don Brash’s computer.

“They had to move on because it just wasn’t tenable.”

Wellington field crime manager Detective Inspector Shane Cotter said the police would not be making any further comment in regards to the case.

“We’ve released the information and that’s it, there won’t be any comments from the police around that.”

Amanda Fisher is a journalism student at Massey University

ENDS

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