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GCSB scandal: Greens lay complaint with police

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GCSB scandal: Greens lay complaint with police

3News NZ

Green Party co-leader Russel Norman

Green Party co-leader Russel Norman

By Dan Satherley

The Green Party has laid an official complaint with police over the Government Security and Communications Bureau's illegal spying on tech entrepreneur Kim Dotcom.

In a letter to police commissioner Peter Marshall, co-leader Russel Norman says the GCSB, Prime Minister John Key and the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security Paul Neazor have acknowledged illegal activity took place.

"The Neazor Report clearly concludes that the GCSB had no authority under the GCSB Act to intercept the communications of Mr Dotcom and Bram van der Kolk," says Dr Norman.

"Both the Neazor Report and the Prime Minister’s public statements have repeatedly labelled the GCSB’s actions illegal.

"The GCSB appears to have breached s216(B) of the Crimes Act, which bans interception of private communications – that is the same law that John Key claimed Bradley Ambrose had breached in the so-called ‘teapot tapes’ affair."

During last year's election campaign, Mr Ambrose inadvertently recorded a conversation between Mr Key and ACT Party Epsom candidate John Banks at a central Auckland cafe.

At the staged event, to which media were invited, Mr Key offered his support to Mr Banks as the preferred candidate for the Epsom electorate.

Mr Key laid a complaint with police, saying the recording of the private conversation was illegal.

An investigation was held but police decided not to prosecute Mr Ambrose, although they called his actions "clearly unlawful".

Several media organisations, including TV3, were investigated by police following Mr Key's complaint.

The recording was never officially released, but appeared on the internet in January.

NZ First leader Winston Peters is hinting for an investigation into the ordeal, taking to twitter this morning.

“The PM's ignorance on a raft of vital matters relating to the Dotcom case is screaming out for investigation,” he says.

The tweet comes after Mr Peters’s speech yesterday during a snap debate at Parliament when he called Mr Key the “spray and walk away” Prime Minister.

“If any other minister had been this incompetent, the Prime Minister would have fired him. We are saying: Prime Minister, fire yourself.  

“This is going to leave us as the laughing stock on the international stage,” he said.

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Comments

13/06/2013 12:08:05 p.m.

PS wrote:

There is something terribly wrong about all of this. Parliament has given Police powers to intercept communications in certain situations; obviously the Dotcom case did not meet that threshold. So here are some questions that need answering. How can the police be allowed to circumvent the will of Parliament by "seeking" and "using" broader powers given to another agency? How can NZ Police be allowed to investigate the GCSB in respect of something police asked them to do and/or were complicit in from the outset? Who is going to carry out an investigation into the actions of the police to determine whether they acted criminally? All of this cries out for an independent investigation (e.g. through a Commission of Inquiry). Otherwise, how can the Government and the general public have confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the way two key enforcement agencies operate. They can't at present!

2/10/2012 1:57:34 p.m.

JUDY JUSTICE wrote:

On fmacskasy.wordpress.com blog Glen's comment was: "Ignorance of the law is no excuse, they had no right to spy on a resident". And the reply is: "In a complicated way it sort of is. The hidden law decider behind it all is a little man with a big ego and his name is Dr David Brian Collins, and, for whatever reason, they will protect him right up until the day reactor 4 gets hit by the next earthquake. I guess he has something on all of them. For raiding (a politically correct word in the circumstance for invading) Kim and family’s property in full knowledge it was against the law he should be disbarred 20 times over, compared to Barry Hart, and I would like to see him sit in jail for a month having appeared in front of Raynor Asher (Asher acting dumb). This man needs every bit of trouble he has caused sheeted home to him. Barry is a saint compared to this man (and, beware Collins is dangerous). Actually, to compare in any way is a slight on Barry. It is just to illustrate injustice. He was, of course, the Urewera cook as well"

29/09/2012 7:21:33 a.m.

Mal wrote:

@GEOFF. Already spent enough? We will be paying even more when Dotcom sues. (and I hope he does) We want the truth. Only way ro get is sue. Who created this stuff up?

29/09/2012 12:09:16 a.m.

Kathy wrote:

Yes dotcom is a criminal if you want to look at it that way I guess. A criminal that National was willing to take 10 million dollars for in return for residency and a clean slate. John Banks was also happy to take his 50 thousand dollars. Infact, dotcom would be considered a core National party supporter on any given day, if National hadnt done the dirty on him. Now Keys honesty is in question as is his competence. If people have a problem with dotcom being a criminal you have to question the competence of the government that gave him resident status I guess. Again that brings us back to National.

28/09/2012 10:00:35 p.m.

Carlos wrote:

Dotcom is it seems, criminal, as are the greens.......do they really care about real NZ'ers and real jobs ?.....NO !

28/09/2012 5:37:26 p.m.

bigboy38 wrote:

hey ludites, dotcom is a very cunning criminal.And for the record i have never voted the Tories or ACT but in this case i support the Tories 100% and to save our taxes dotcom should be gone by lunchtime

28/09/2012 5:36:23 p.m.

Alex wrote:

Another example of the Greens wasting everyones time.

28/09/2012 2:09:02 p.m.

alison wrote:

I wonder if charges will be delayed until a certain timeframe is up in this case? I guess it will show how far police can be persuaded by our pm, but senior police caught out lying already, is certainly not instilling any confidence that this matter will be dealt with independently or factually.

28/09/2012 1:50:51 p.m.

Kathy wrote:

For the Minister of our Intelligence services to claim that he was ignorant of one of the most high profile legal cases in New Zealands history, to claim he had not been briefed by any of the dozens of security agencies that New Zealand has including the GCSB, the SIS, the NAB, the DESG, the NBCI, is unbelievable. Key needs to be stood down by the National Party, as does English. If they have nothing to hide, then they would have immediately ordered an independent judicial review. For neither homself or English to know that Kim Dotcom was a New Zealand resident means that neither of them has read a newspaper or watched a television news show in nearly a year. I want transparency... John Key does not. Kim Dotcom has indicated that more information will come out against the government in the lead up to his extradition trial.. I eagerly await it. Whether you like Kim Dotcom or not is highly irrelevent, National were happy to take his 10 Million dollars in return for residency, John Banks was happy to take his 50,000 dollars for favours. Where is our hearing? I think if Kiwis dont get one they will be expecting a snap election to remove John Key from power.

28/09/2012 12:34:09 p.m.

RA wrote:

Just another Torie stuff up , but they will worm their way around it . I note theres a couple of ACT supporters have got in first here .... HI boys