Ombudsman Says Police Should Reopen Inquiry

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32379, 19 August 1970, Page 28

Ombudsman Says Police Should Reopen Inquiry

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, August 18. The police should consider reopening or extending their inquiry into charges of misconduct stemming from the dispersal of demonstrators during the visit of the American Vice-President (Mr Spiro Agnew) to New Zealand, the Ombudsman (Sir Guy Powles) said in a special report tabled in Parliament today. “I think perhaps the police authorities, in deciding against advising a public inquiry, overlooked the fact that the existence of a large body of complaint material might indicate that their own internal inquiry had not gone far enough,” the report said. “Thus, they ought to consider reopening it, or extending it.”

Referring to a pamphlet from the anonymous public inquiry committee, listing complaints about police actions, Sir Guy Powles said: “I think, in retrospect, that it would have been a wise decision for the police to have made at least some attempt to check on the veracity of some of the more important allegations made in this pamphlet.

“However, no attempt was made to do so.” He continued: "My general conclusion on the police inquiry is that it did not go as far as the circumstances required.” The Ombudsman is also sharply critical of police actions in Albert Park after the demonstrators were dispersed from Mr Agnew’s hotel on January 16.

He discussed the case of a complainant “who impressed the inquiry sergeant as being sincerely honest and truthful and not being given to violence or any anti-police sentiments.** The complainant said he was punched in the back and pushed by an unidentified constable in Albert Park.

“I must conclude,” says Sir Guy Powles, “that some incidents of unprovoked violence on the part of policemen did occur, but that it is not possible to identify any of the policemen concerned, who were few in number.

“This use of force was, of course, completely improper and reprehensible.” In another section of the report he said the police inquiry contained evidence that something had happened in Albert Park, “and this should have led to a further investigation in an attempt to ascertain just exactly what did happen.”