The Korean woman who has complained to police about a sexual encounter with National MP Richard Worth previously accused a prominent member of the Korean community of inappropriate behaviour, it was reported today.
Dr Worth resigned as a minister on Tuesday night because of the Korean businesswoman's complaint, which is alleged to have happened in March, in a hotel room in Wellington.
Dr Worth maintains he is innocent.
The Korean man told The New Zealand Herald that the woman, in her 40s, wrongly accused him of inappropriate behaviour in an Auckland Korean newspaper several years ago.
The man, who cannot be named to protect the complainant's identity, said he met the woman in 2003 and tried to help her, because he felt sorry for her as she was struggling with her immigration and finding a job.
The man said they had a friendship of several months where they would dine together in downtown Auckland.
The man said the woman wanted him to introduce her to political leaders and major businessmen.
He introduced her to former Labour MP Richard Prebble and ACT Party leader Rodney Hide, but then she changed to the point where he did not want to help her any more.
After they lost contact, the man read about her allegations of having an inappropriate or dishonest relationship with him in an Auckland Korean newspaper.
This distressed his wife and children, but it was too expensive to take legal action over it.
"If it (the accusation) was true, why did she not go to police and court - why a newspaper?" he said.
The Korean businesswoman could not be reached for comment yesterday.
NZPA