Franks Writes To Police Commissioner Over Iti

Thursday 3 Feb 2005
Stephen Franks
Press Releases -- Crime & Justice

ACT Justice spokesman Stephen Franks today wrote to Police Commissioner Rob Robinson requesting that Tame Iti be prosecuted on three offences relating to the possession of a shotgun during a Tuhoe protest last month.

Yesterday during Question Time Police Minister George Hawkins suggested Mr Franks should lodge a complaint with the police in the absence of a police prosecution of Tame Iti. Today he did.

"The key issue behind my request is equality before the law. New Zealanders must be confident that there is one law for all and that police will enforce the law impartially without fear or favour," Mr Franks said.

"For many years Labour has turned a blind eye to the non-prosecution of Maori activists when they break the law. Some Tuhoe, for example, trashed national park assets years ago and never paid any penalty. It's no wonder that Tama Iti, Te Kaha, and others, think they are beyond the law.

"ACT believes that all New Zealanders, regardless of race, must be treated equally before the law. The public is sick and tired of Labour's one law for Maori activists, and another for everybody else.

"I am not bent on prosecuting every infraction. Prosecution must be fair. It's time the Arms Act was used against thugs and aggressors and they stopped prosecuting victim defenders.

"It's time that this Labour-sanctioned lawlessness is stopped, and that people are brought to justice who want to get their way with menace, rather than reason or votes. I look forward to the Police Commissioner's reply and Tame Iti's subsequent prosecution," Mr Franks said.

ENDS

For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at act@parliament.govt.nz.

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