COMMISSIONER OF POLICE

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27165, 8 October 1953, Page 12

COMMISSIONER OF POLICE

EARLY RETURN FROM HOBART REQUEST BY MINISTER (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, October 7. The Minister in charge of Polite (Mr W. H. Fortune) sent a catdegram yesterday to the Commiwioner of Police (Mr E. H. Compton), who is, in Hobart, asking him to return -to New Zealand as soon as possible. The Cabinet, at its meeting, on Monday, decided to ask Mr Compton to return “as soon as this can conveniently be done, having regard to th, proceedings of the police conference in Australia." Mr Compton’s original intention had been to spend some time in Australia after the conference, and to inspect police establishments. It is believed Mr Compton will return to Wellington next week. It is understood that, on the Commissioner’s return, there will be a series of consultations between the Cabinet and himself on the question of setting up a Royal Commission to investigate charges of improper conduct in the Police Force.

“WIRE-TAPPING” CHARGES

QUESTION ASKED IN : PARLIAMENT (New Zealand Press Association) > »’ WELLINGTON, October 7. In the House of Representatives today, Mr W. W. Freer (Opposition. Mount Albert), in a question addressed to the Minister in charge of Police (Mr W. H.- Fortune), referred to an “unequivocal” statement in the current issue of .the “New Zealand Truth” that the newspaper had evidence in its possession “which points to the present Commissioner of Police having carried out telephone tapping as a senior-detective, in Wellington. Mr Freer asked the Minister to impress on the Cabinet the urgency of making a decision to hold a public inquiry into conditions in the New Zealand police force, or at least order the immediate recall of the Commissioner from Australia to reply to the allegations before the Cabinet. In a note to the question, Mr Freer said: “ "Truth* says that it is also Mtisfied that if a full inquiry is ordered with immunity for witnesses, it can be shown that telephone tappine did not end with the promotion of the Commissioner. This statement is at odds with recent ‘categorical’ denials by the Prime Minister (Mr Holland), by the Minister in charge of Police, and by senior police and Post ana Telegraph officials that wire-tapping has been done.”

NO COMMENT BY MR HOLLAND

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, October 7. “I have no statement to make whatever,” said the Prime Minister (Mr Holland) tonight, when he was asked to comment on allegations contained in the current issue of the “New Zealand Truth” that the Commissioner of Police (Mr E. H. Compton), when he was a senior detective in Wellington, had been involved in telephone tapping.