Gang report may prompt snap debate

Press, 3 February 1987, Page 2

Gang report may prompt snap debate

By

OLIVER RIDDELL

in Wellington

A confidential police report on the funding of projects at the National Marae in Christchurch, and the role of a Cabinet Minister in supplying funds to gang members, is ready to blow up in the Government’s face.

The Opposition hopes to table the report in Parliament today, which will make it a public document. It may also seek to force a snap debate on the issue.

Copies of the uncensored report by Sergeant Mark Penn on the National Marae surfaced yesterday. The Prime Minister, Mr Lange, said yesterday that the implication in the Penn report of impropriety by a Cabinet Minister was “absolutely incorrect.”

This follows a paragraph in section 18 of the Penn report which is described as being based on “a confidential allegation.”

The allegation was that a Labour Department officer had instructed that workers on the National Marae would not be paid unless they turned up for work. This had led to a direct approach to a Cabinet Minister who had directed that the payments should keep going. Mr Lange said he had been assured by the Cabinet Minister, the Commissioner of Police, and the departmental officer re-

ferred to in the Penn report that this was incorrect

Although no-one had mentioned the Cabinet Minister by name, Mr Lange went on to say: “Game, set and match to Kerry,” referring to the Minister of Employment Mr Burke. The uncensored version of the Penn report said that about $lO million in public money had been spent on the National Marae.

Allegations had been made of the money having been wasted, if not misappropriated, it said. Front-line police had been frustrated and intimidated by the implied use of gang members on the marae to stop the police from performing their lawful duties there, such as making arrests. The report also said that relevant files required by Labour Department investigators were missing. Gang members and their associates, particularly Black Power, had been deeply involved in the marae project. The police were interested to know what financial advantages gang members had received.

Mr Lange said it was extremely reprehensible for a police inquiry report to be released in full like this.

He expected the police themselves to inquire into how such a shoddy thing could happen.