Triangle TV Interview: Peter Williams QC Says Police Let Off The Hook But Constructive Inquiry Must Satisfy Public Interest

In this Triangle TV interview with Selwyn Manning renowned Queen’s Counsel Peter Williams says the Police were let off the hook in the High Court but that a “constructive independent inquiry” must be held to satisfy the public interest surrounding this Government-GCSB-Police Scandal.

Peter Williams QC said the questions put to Police Detective Inspector Grant Wormald by Kim Dotcom’s defence counsel in the High Court were not specific enough to tie the officer down.

In the High Court in August, Kim Dotcom’s defence counsel Paul Davison asks Detective Inspector Grant Wormald: “So apart from the surveillance which [the police surveillance team] might have been going to undertake on your behalf was there any other surveillance being undertaken here in New Zealand to your knowledge?”

DI Wormald replied: “No there wasn’t.”

When it became public knowledge in September that the Government Communications Security Bureau had indeed committed unlawful surveillance during the Police-led Operation Debut, Detective Inspector Wormald told Fairfax media that he was asked in the High Court about “physical surveillance” or bugging and was not referring to the snooping of emails and phone calls – the latter being the GCSB’s contribution to the surveillance.

In the Triangle TV interview, Mr Williams said, during Davison’s questioning in the High Court the Judge should have ordered the officer to reveal the name of the government agency and should have narrowed the questioning so it was delivered with more “specificity” with regard to whether this secret agency was involved with surveillance in the Kim Dotcom – Megaupload operation.

Mr Williams said the lack of “specificity” in the questioning gave the Police officer an avenue within which he could answer in a way without committing perjury.

However, Mr Williams added that it is reasonable for the public to form a view that the Police officer was not responding in a truthful manner – in essence, he said, the Police got off the hook.

Like New Zealand First leader Winston Peters, Mr Williams said for the public and national interest to be satisfied a broad “constructive” independent inquiry must be held. (Click here to see Winston Peters’ interview with Selwyn Manning where this GCSB/Police surveillance scandal is examined.)

The Questions:

Question1:

What is your view of the GCSB’s unlawful surveillance of Megaupload boss Kim Dotcom?

Question 2:

Do you believe the Police officer committed perjury when he replied “No there wasn’t.” when asked was there any other surveillance being undertaken?

Question 3:

What possible defences may be asserted by the Police?

Question 4:

What do you think was the GCSB’s motivation to seek and acquire a suppression order by way of a ministerial certificate from the acting Prime Minister Bill English?

Question 5:

Should the New Zealand Police be the entity that investigates the GCSB’s unlawful surveillance?

Question 6:

What is the public to make of this series of events?

Question 7:

How can the public interest be satisfied over this whole affair?

Question 8:

What kind of inquiry do you feel needs to be initiated into this affair?

The Beatson Interview broadcasts weekly on Triangle TV and webcasts on LiveNews.co.nz.