Police considered charging Minister

Press, 9 May 1984, Page 1

Police considered charging Minister

PA Wellington The police considered charging the Minister of Customs, Mr Allen, with laying a false complaint as a result of his allegation that he was assaulted by three men, one armed with a broken bottle, while walking home from Parliament on March 15. The Wellington district police commander, Deputy Assistant Commissioner W. R. Fleming, said last evening that because the police could find no evidence sup-

porting the complaint of assault it had been necessary to consider the possibility that a false complaint, had been made in circumstances that would constitute a criminal offence. The lack of evidence supporting an assault complaint was supported by medical and forensic reports, Mr Fleming said. This included a D.S.I.R. analysis of clothing worn by Mr Allen when the alleged assault occurred. Mr Fleming said the mat-

ter of charging Mr Allen with making a false complaint had been carefully and fully examined. “In view of the specialist evidence about the Minister’s medical condition which raised the possibility that he was in a hypoglycaemic state at the time of the alleged assault any further police action is precluded,” Mr Fleming said. A person suffering from hypoglycaemia could collapse, suffer injury and upon recovery believe an attack was made. Mr Fleming said the police had considered the possibility that because of Mr Alien’s diabetic condition — a condition the police were informed of by Mr Allen — the Minister might have been in a hypoglycaemic state on the night of the alleged assault. “This issue cannot be resolved with any certainty but, on the information available, it remains a possibility,” Mr Fleming said. Unless further evidence came to light, the police had completed their inquiries and the matter would remain closed.