By Patrick Gower
The top defence official exposed as a CV cheat on 60 Minutes last night has quit his job.
But even though Steven Wilce’s CV was full of fabrications, new footage shows he was still able to get a top secret security clearance – raising questions for New Zealand’s spies.
Despite an internal complaint about his suitability, Wilce was still sent on an overseas course that cost the taxpayer over $250,000.
Top level clearance should be signed off by spy agency the SIS – and that is what’s concerning their boss.
“It is a serious issue and we need to treat it seriously,” says Prime Minister John Key.
He is right to be worried – one of Wilce’s responsibilities was signing off the safety of Air Force flights into Afghanistan.
But Defence Force chief Jerry Mateparae says Wilce did a good job.
“He has been working exceptionally well.”
Wilce spent eight months at the Royal College of Defence Studies in London, despite facing an internal complaint that asked whether his recruitment was “some terrible clerical error”.
His claims include being a British Olympic bobsledder, competing against the Jamaicans who inspired the movie Cool Runnings.
“I’m getting a full report and my concern is this does not happen again,” says Defence Minister Wayne Mapp.
If this was a report card on top-level security, it’s a definite fail. Wilce spent five years at the top in defence and the secret is now out that there has been an embarrassing lapse in Defence and SIS procedures.
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