Today's complaint alleged that SFO director Grant Liddell had acted illegally by supplying information to the privileges committee. The complaint accused him and other members of the SFO of abuse of statutory powers.
Last week Mr Peters argued section 39 of the Serious Fraud Act precluded the SFO's actions.
"What they've done is totally ultra vires (beyond its powers) and they've done it with malice in my view and I will set out to prove it."
I've got mixed thoughts on this. Is it nothing more than a publicity stunt by NZ First, which has taken a pounding in the Court of Public Opinion in the last few weeks? Or is there something more sinister? Could this be an attempt by NZ First, aided and abetted by the Labour Party to muzzle the SFO, or get them to back off?
It's sad that one even has to pose that question. However the events of the past nine years, well chronicled by DPF at Kiwiblog this afternoon suggest that we can no longer take any possibility for granted. And it leaves Keeping Stock wondering just what was on the agenda when Michael Cullen met the Director of the SFO this morning.
UPDATE: Kiwiblog carries a link to Dean Knight, Public Law specialist from Victoria University which rebuts the grounds on which NZ First has complained to the Police, and suggests that NZ First may even be in contempt of Parliament. And I can't resist reproducing DPF's opening paragraph...
As people will have read, NZ First is outraged that the SFO has revealed to the Privileges Committee that the evidence given by Peters and Henry is false. I mean shame on the SFO - how dare they reveal the truth. What sort of law enforcement body do they think they are.
Hat-tip: Kiwiblog
4 comments:
The punishment for the 'alleged' crime is a $5000 fine so....
Its a stunt!
fuck NZ first.
Rather more importantly - NZFirst true sucessor party is the Maori Party.
Prof Winiata was on RadioCommunism's The Pane this afternoon. He said
a) Maori Party wants to be a "treaty partner" not a coalition partner - whatever that means,
b) they would support whichever party the rest of the country had chosen, i.e. which had the most votes
Frankly, I think this paves the way for an enduring constitutional settlement - the Maori seats can stay, but they always support the largest party on Confidence & supply.
Of course, that largest party will be National for the next 10 years.
NZFirst has long been in contempt of parliament.
I'd have the priv. ctte string em up from the flagpoles outside parliament - yeah the staffers too.
Weapon of mass distraction.
showmethetaxcut
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