S.U.P. denies taking Moscow money

Press, 27 April 1987, Page 1

S.U.P. denies taking Moscow money

PA Auckland The Socialist Unity Party yesterday denied taking money from Moscow or being involved with the expelled Soviet diplomat, Sergei Budnik, in any way that would warrant his expulsion. Its acting general secre-' tary, Ms Marilyn Tucker, said that she and other party members had met Mr Budnik at a number of functions at the Soviet Embassy. Party members were also in touch with other embassies, she said. No money had changed hands, nor advice been preferred by Mr Budnik about domestic political matters. While Government sources were reported to

have suggested that the diplomat was being expelled for involvement with party members, she said that in the absence of any official statement to this effect the party could not assume it was being made a scapegoat.

The “Dominion Sunday Times” yesterday quoted Government sources as saying Mr Budnik was recently caught by the Security Intelligence Service dealing with members of the pro-Moscow S.U.P.

The sources said they were under strict instructions not to give details of Mr Budnik’s offence — apparently at the insistence of the S.I.S head, Brigadier Lindsay Smith. Public identification of

Mr Budnik’s offence could lead to disclosure of the methods or people used by S.I.S. officers to snare him, the sources said. The ejection of Mr Budnik, announced in a shock statement from the Prime Minister’s office, came on the eve of a visit by the British Foreign Secretary, Sir Geoffrey Howe. Sir Geoffrey has been touring Asia and the Pacific emphasising his country’s rising concern about increased Libyan and Soviet activity in the region. The Soviet Embassy expressed its “utter surprise” at Mr Budnik’s expulsion and maintained he had “strictly exercised his diplomatic duties in this country and nothing above that.”