Call for N.Z. drug inquiry

Press, 3 June 1983, Page 2

Call for N.Z. drug inquiry

PA Wellington A Labour member of Parliament, Mr Richard Prebble, yesterday called for a Commission of Inquiry to examine the New Zealand drug scene. In the wake of the published findings of the Australian Royal Commission into drug trafficking in New Zealand and Australia, Mr Prebble said in a radio interview that he had been calling for an inquiry in New Zealand ever since Alexander Sinclair, also known as Terrence John Clark, the “Mr Asia” drug ring boss, had been arrested. He said that the Australian inquiry was very narrow from the point of New Zealand, looking only into Sinclair’s activities here. “It was not able to look at drug trafficking in New Zealand generally, only Sinclair’s activities,” Mr Prebble said. He said that if there was a Commission of Inquiry in New Zealand into drug trafficking, there would be a

great many more New Zealanders being named than just the handful named by Mr Justice Stewart, who headed the inquiry. “I think the case for a general Commission of Inquiry is overwhelming,” Mr Prebble said. “Because the delay has been so long, a Royal Commission today would not be nearly as valuable as it would have been when I first called for it.” He also made the point that Mr Justice Stewart in his report had' said in effect that some people who gave evidence were lying. “I think the commission should be asked whether those people committed perjury, and if so, the police should prosecute,” Mr Prebble said. The Minister of Justice, Mr McLay, said Mr Prebble’s latest call for a Commission of Inquiry was not supported in any way by the findings of the New Zealand Royal Commission report. “Nowhere does Mr Jus-

tice Stewart suggest that there are matters which require further investigation by a Commission of Inquiry,” he said. “Nonetheless, following on Mr Prebble’s latest call for a Commission of Inquiry, I have discussed the matter again with the Commissioner of Police, Mr R. J. Walton, who has again assured me that the police have no outstanding matters in respect of Sinclair or his known associates, and that there are no other drugdealing matters that cannot be dealt with by the ordinary procedures of the police investigation and court prosecution,” Mr McLay said. Responding to Mr Prebble’s suggestion that certain people should be prosecuted for perjury, Mr McLay said that was entirely a matter for the police. “It would be grossly improper for me, or any other politician, to suggest that a person be prosecuted,” he said.