04 December 2005

Minister says Police report vindicates his position

Cabinet Minister David Benson-Pope says the expected release tomorrow of police files into historic allegations made against him will vindicate his position.

Mr Benson-Pope said that throughout the investigation he was careful not to make comment on the investigation. However, now that the investigation had concluded he does not feel constrained talking about the case.

Mr Benson-Pope says that his office has talked to a Sunday newspaper about information contained in his police files. He confirmed that he is not aware of any restrictions that have been placed on him by the police with regard to disclosing contents of the files now that the investigation had concluded.

"I have said from the outset that I have no recollection of these events and I do not believe what was alleged happened. The files will demonstrate the dangers of relying on people's memories 23 years after an alleged event and after a huge amount of media hype."

Mr Benson-Pope says a spokesman for his office was in error and should have acknowledged earlier today that his office was the source of some information in a Sunday newspaper story, though he believed the question related to the release of the actual files themselves.

ENDS

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