By Patrick Gower
Today John Key was forced to admit that his GCSB spies had told him they were involved in the police raid on Kim Dotcom’s mansion over six months before the date he has been claiming they had.
“A reference was made to the fact that the GCSB from time to time worked with OFCANZ [Organised and Financial Crime Agency New Zealand],” says Mr Key. “[The] example was stated apparently as Kim Dotcom. I have absolutely no memory of that.”
Green Party co-leader Russel Norman says Mr Key’s admission means one of two things.
“Either the Prime Minister has been telling lies to the people of New Zealand – that he was unaware of it – or he is an incompetent minister who has done a very poor job,” he says.
Up until now, Mr Key has been adamant he did not know about GCSB involvement in the raid led by the police OFCANZ unit.
The Dotcom raid was on January 20, but it wasn't until September 17 that Mr Key says he was first told of the GCSB’s illegal spying.
Yet we now know that six months earlier, on February 29, Mr Key visited the GCSB and a "reference" was made to the Dotcom arrest.
Mr Key was at GCSB headquarters in Wellington when a spy showed him a briefing on a laptop that included an image of Dotcom.
However, Mr Key says he doesn’t remember that.
“I have no recollection of it,” he says. “Now it doesn't ring a bell with me, but if he says he did – I’ve got no reason to doubt him.”
And that means Mr Key hasn't just inadvertently misinformed the public – he'll now have to correct the record in Parliament.
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