GCSB investigation 'a stunt ' – Key

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GCSB investigation 'a stunt ' – Key

3News NZ

Prime Minister John Key (Reuters)

Prime Minister John Key (Reuters)

By Patrick Gower

The police are now investigating the Dotcom debacle, involving spies and the police, and to ensure its independence, the investigation will be overseen by a QC.

The complaint was laid by the Green Party, but Prime Minister John Key is dismissing it as a stunt and insists it's not the same thing he did with the teapot tapes.

“The bottom line is it’s a politically motivated stunt,” says Mr Key.

“I'm very surprised the Prime Minister thinks calling for a police investigation into this is some kind of stunt,” says Green Party co-leader Russel Norman. “I think that just goes to the heart of the poor judgment of the Prime Minister that he's shown right through this whole episode.”

According to the Crimes Act, anyone "who intentionally intercepts any private communication by means of an interception device... is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years".

Police found the teapot tapes were unlawful under that act, but in the end only warned, rather than prosecuted, camera operator Bradley Ambrose.

The Greens say the Dotcom spying is far worse.

“When agencies reporting to the Prime Minister are found to be illegally spying on New Zealand residents, it is a very serious issue, and a much more serious issue than the teapot tapes,” says Dr Norman.

But like the teapot tapes, the Dotcom debacle is pushing the Prime Minister's patience.

Mr Key says he called in the police on the teapot tapes because he wanted to find out if there had been an offence. He argues Dotcom is different, because his Government has already admitted what it did was unlawful.

So now it’s the police investigating the spies, and because the police called in the spies, that means it’s the police investigating the police.

It has become a complete and utter mess, and this police investigation will drag it out even further.

The Dotcom debacle is far from over – anything but.

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Comments

3/10/2012 9:51:24 a.m.

Kathy wrote:

The problem with this of course is that it wont investigate how much John Key knew, whether Bill English and John Key had contact during his time in america or what other spy agencies were also involved and whether they reported to the Prime Minister before the time he said he knew about the matter.

3/10/2012 9:39:03 a.m.

Richard wrote:

A stunt? So was bending over to the US and coming in all heavy handed and underhanded on Dotcom. An enquiry is wanted by most kiwis. We are not impressed by any of the dodgy goings on of this saga whether National or Labour voters.

3/10/2012 9:14:05 a.m.

dennis wrote:

Should Dotcom be Finnish here is a guaranteed way to obtain independent police inquiry, Dr Norman: NB: Unofficial translation. Ministry of Justice, Finland. The Criminal Code of Finland. Finnish law applies to an offence committed outside of Finland that has directed at a Finnish citizen. Chapter 24 -Offences against privacy, public peace and personal reputation Section 1 -Invasion of domestic premises. A person who unlawfully (1) enters domestic premises by force, stealth or deception, or hides or stays in such premises, or (2) disturbs the domestic privacy of another by making noise, throwing objects, making calls or in another comparable manner shall be sentenced for invasion of domestic premises to a fine or to imprisonment for at most six months. Section 2 -Aggravated invasion of domestic premises If, in the invasion of domestic premises, (1) the offender is equipped with a weapon or another instrument suitable for personal violence for the purpose of committing the offence, or it is the evident intent of the offender or a participant to employ personal violence or cause damage to property, or (2) the victim of the offence has a valid reason to fear for his or her personal safety owing to threats pertaining to the offence, damage caused to property or the number of offenders or participants, and the invasion of domestic premises is aggravated also when assessed as a whole, the offender shall be sentenced for an aggravated invasion of domestic premises to a fine or to imprisonment for at most two years Section 5 -Eavesdropping (1) A person who unlawfully listens to or records with a technical device (1) a discussion, talk or other sounds of private life, where these are not intended for his or her knowledge, and which occur or arise in domestic premises or (2) in secret in other than in domestic premises, talk that is not intended to his or her knowledge or to the knowledge of third parties in general, where the circumstances are such that the speaker has no reason to believe that a third party is listening shall be sentenced for eavesdropping to a fine or to imprisonment for at most one year. (2) An attempt is punishable. They also have a 2-year penalty for defamation which would apply to everyone who has called him a thief and a criminal

3/10/2012 6:21:07 a.m.

Cato wrote:

Teflon John is just too slick. Now his true colours are finally coming out for all the mugs like me who voted for him.

2/10/2012 11:26:45 p.m.

Jonno wrote:

John Key is only worried about his ratings. End of story.

2/10/2012 10:16:25 p.m.

M wrote:

A stunt? Mr Key, you are a totally incompetent, corrupt PM, you have no integrity and cannot be trusted. The cold, calculating scheming you must have done to make your millions, the mind boggles.

2/10/2012 9:27:47 p.m.

dennis wrote:

Even if it is a stunt, it is a practical, relatively inexpensive forum to provide accountability before a District Court Judge, rather than some overpaid Queen's Council working through the issue in secret, and providing a report that, even if we don't really follow, that we can't do much about. However, there should, I hope, be an agreement with the Judge that the outcome will be a discharge without conviction. The reason I say that is, that if the Solicitor General had said "don't do that" to almost everyone who did things wrong would they have done them wrong? I think that the answer is "no" and therefore, although criminal acts have been undertaken, these people are not criminals

2/10/2012 9:13:09 p.m.

Wiseacre wrote:

No. Calling in the Police over a recording of the Prime Minister saying what he really thinks, in a public cafe, at a media circus he had arranged, was a *political stunt*. Calling in the Police over an admittedly illegal act, to investigate the depth & extent of the corruption, is not only warranted, it is necessary to get to the truth. While it might seem a bit ridiculous to have the Police investigating this - considering they themselves are implicated in a large part of the debacle - it wouldn't be necessary if John Key didn't repeatedly dismiss calls for a full & independent inquiry. The mocking derision of John Key as he dismisses concerned citizens as *conspiracy theorists* living in *fantasy land*, and calling efforts to get to the bottom of this debacle as a *politically motivated stunt*, is unacceptable for a Prime Minister.

2/10/2012 9:01:14 p.m.

ami wrote:

Message to John Key- Bollocks.
We might get some answers and truth as to who knew, who didn't and who decided to go on an overseas trip so they could deny all knowledge

2/10/2012 8:49:49 p.m.

joe wrote:

The police raid on Dotcom's mansion - which Donkey knew nothing about (hahaha) - was a stunt. This is all part of the wash-up. Get used to it Donkey.