The Moyle Report

Press, 17 April 1978, Page 10

The Moyle Report

The police file note of the meeting between Mr Burnside, Mr Walton and Mr Moyle reads: “Mr Burnside said, ‘naturally we are amazed at the trend of events which have occurred since certain statements were made by you and Mr Muldoon in the House. We received your letter yesterday at 3.00 p.m. and have considered your request and have concluded that we cannot agree to confirm your statement. Mr Walton will now read to you our reasons.

“ ‘lt is agreed you have never been arrested or charged. “ ‘We cannot agree that you have never been “picked up” as this statement depends on the many interpretations that can be placed on these words.

“If the police did corroborate your statement it could give a false impression. Your public statement does not agree with the account on the police file, therefore it is considered not in your best interests for police to amplify on the term “picked U P” .

“ ‘lf you want a written answer it will be given, but you may not like it, and therefore it is considered in your best interests to leave the matter as it is.

“Mr Moyle then said: ‘ls that all? Is everything to be said in this room confidential?’ “Mr Burnside said he intended to keep out of the political arena, and that he had not told any lies regarding the matter. “T.V. now questions the

need for the security level [ of the file. The alternative, was to have it placed in the' general filing system, but it would be realised that any general filing system was not the appropriate place for such a file. Mr Moyle agreed. “Mr Moyle said he wanted to explain why there was a discrepancy in his statement in the House. He said' the letter he wrote was not to Mr Walton because it concerned Mr Walton. He discussed the position with Mr Rowling and he said the facts should be put to the Commissioner. “In May last year he was the chairman of the Labour Party strategy committee. The arena was assailed by a fear of-leaks, the ‘Jayes affair.’ Members of the party were given certain allegations and on the night of the incident he was to meet someone who was to give information regarding -security leaks and the alleged implication of Deputy-Commis-sioner Walton. “He said that he did not know who he was to meet, but it was information from a trusted ex-employee at whose funeral he was recently a pall bearer (McConnell). “He said he was to meet someone unknown outside the library to receive the information. There was suspicion and doubts regarding people who had been in the 7th Battalion. “There was Jayes, and Meldrum, of U.E.B. There was some suggestion of an association connected with people in security situations. He expected to be given information about this association and the methods by which they were financed. Mr Moyle said he was a naive character. “Mr Burnside said he understood Mr Moyle went to meet someone who would give information about a group of people, including Mr Walton, who were leaking information. “Mr Moyle said it: was a group of people who were l

out to embarrass the Labour Government. It goes back to the suspicions of Norman Kirk and also Mr Rowling’s concern about leaks. Personally he was not a party to the suspicion.

“He believed his home in Wellington was entered through the louvres and therefore the headquarters of the strategy team was ‘set up’ in Parliament. “His problem was that he was late in keeping the appointment and did not know if the person he saw was the person he was to meet. He repeated that he did not known who he was to meet. “The rest of his statement in the House fits in with the facts. When he had his meeting with Mr Walton, he could not say what the problem was and had to think of some other justification. Why he said what he did was because he had discussions about homosexuality. He did not want to cast doubts, as to suggest the liaison is grossly irresponsible, but he had to say it. “The Commissioner said, Firstly, one was always wise in hindsight. When Mr Connelly arranged for Mr Moyle to see Mr Walton, why did he not say that for certain reasons he wanted to be interviewed by someone else? He had arranged for Mr Walton to see Mr Moyle because he wanted it done by a senior person in the police because of Mr Moyle’s position. “Secondly, he had put himself in a difficult situation. He had made one explanation to the police at the time, had made another explanation in Parliament, and' now had come up with a third different explanation.

‘‘The Commissioner wanted to make it quite clear that the only people who really knew what happened were people who have access to the completed file, and that was Mr Walton and himself. If Mr Rowling wanted a judicial inquiry, he would have no objection, as he had told no lies about the matter. He would then be

forced to tell the complete, truth of the incident. Where, would that leave Mr Moyle? ( “Mr Moyle said as far as i the incident was concerned' he certainly had had the meeting arranged for him,, and subsequently informa-, tion had come to him which I did not add much to what! they already had. "He had to say the con-| stable certainly did not look l like the person he expected' to meet; he looked more like! a suspicious character. He ;came up to Mr Moyle ob-l (viously looking for a petty, crime contact. “The police mentioned to' him at the time about looking for burglars, and he! could . hot remember who! talked about police methods! whether it was the constable, the Superintendent or Mr Walton. “Mr Burnside said that his I explanation was a lot different to what was on the file. "Mr Moyle said it would ■ not be different to what was recorded by the constable. There was no' material difference, only his reasons for being there. “Mr Burnside then said, that we were not going to ! get anywhere, that it was firmly fixed in his mind that it was nobody else’s business what was on the file. | “To make sure of his; grounds he consulted the So-: licitor-General before he ’ went to Parliament, and it would have been ludicrous for him not to follow the advice given. “Mr Moyle said his point of concern was the Prime Minister’s statement about tabling the file which indie-1 ated he had it in his possession. i “Mr Burnside said he did ! not know what information the Prime Minister had, but; he did not have the police, ’file. He had never seen it,' nor had Mr McCready. “Mr Moyle then said that ihe accepted unreservedly! ' that nobody had seen the | file. “Mr Burnside said he i could also accept that he

had not told anybody of the incident. He did say that there were variations in certain elements between the statement made in the House and the account on the police file, but he did not say what they were. “Mr Moyle said naturally he was concerned about his own position. He was concerned about common gossip by the ex-officers’ group and so far as the police Were concerned this information should not be let loose as the integrity of the policy was important. “He agreed that his accepting an appointment under such circumstances to get the information was a foolish thing to do, and he accepted that but, it still does not alter, the situation. “He still contended he was never picked up, and knowing the ways the news media work, he must keep his statement as broad as possible. He said he obviously put a different interpretation on the term ‘picked up’ than the interpretation of the police. “Mr Burnside said there were many interpretations of the term, and he did not want to talk publicly about the incident, but it came down to a matter of whether he talked about all of it or nothing. The only way he would talk about it all was through the legal process. “Mr Moyle said he hoped-, his position was appreciated, j If Mr Burnside was to make ’’ a statement contradicting the Prime Minister he would ■ be in a difficult position The Prime Minister had said . Mr Moyle was picked up for ; homosexual activities. Mr ' Moyle denied he was picked ' up and said so. “A discussion then fol- < lowed on the interpretation ■ of ‘picked up.’ “Mr Moyle then said he thought he should say nothing further transpired about the group of officers leaking security matters, and he now remembered this group included a man called Dundas.