- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Thursday, June 13, 2013

De-commissioning

The extraordinary scenes at a select committee yesterday are a bullet in the career of NZ Police Deputy Commissioner Bush. The would-be executioner, Trevor Mallard, backed by an irate Labour delegation demanded the tough questions be put. When the Police Minister, Anne Tolley, intervened to save him the embarrassment it got nasty. The media seem to be downgrading this to some sort of political stunt of little consequence. It is far from that. Never has such a senior police official been subject to such accountability. The issue here is that Bush condones corruption. Mallard has every right to call him on it.

Stuff:
--
A select committee hearing has descended into acrimony after Labour MP Trevor Mallard appeared to threaten the job of a senior police officer. Mallard abruptly left a select committee after an exchange of angry words with Police Minister Anne Tolley after he questioned the decision of Deputy Police Commissioner Mike Bush to speak at the funeral of former police officer Bruce Hutton.
[...]After Mallard attempted to question Bush on the issue Government committee members objected that his questions were out of order. But Mallard hit back and appeared to threaten Bush's job.
"We're deciding whether or not to continue his salary, that's what we're deciding now," he said.
Mallard then got embroiled in an exchange with Tolley who said that was not his decision before Mallard abruptly left the committee.
Speaking after the committee, Bush said his comments in the eulogy were for a grieving family and weren't meant to be taken by any wider audience.
"They weren't meant to cause any offence to anyone."
--

 NZ Herald:
--
The eulogy by one of the country's police officers for a controversial detective was scripted to offer praise for his integrity - despite the former colleague being found to have planted evidence.
Documents reveal deputy commissioner Mike Bush was offered his own personal endorsement for former detective inspector Bruce Hutton, the officer who led the flawed inquiry into the murders of Harvey and Jeannette Crewe.
Previously, Commissioner Peter Marshall backed up his deputy, saying the eulogy included "a range of positive comments from the service file of Bruce Hutton".
[...]Documents released sourced through the Official Information Act show there were comments which did not come from Mr Hutton's service file.In contrast, they were made written in a section of the speech in which Mr Bush shared his recollections of Mr Hutton.
In a reference to the Crewe inquiry, he said: "It is a great tragedy and irony that a man of such character should have been subject to devastating accusations of dishonesty."
--

Bush can never make Commissioner after this.

3 Comments:

At 16/6/13 11:36 pm, Blogger paul scott said...

A disgusting and sickening episode in the history of NZ Police. I wouls never cooperate with these Police people on any matter., this disgraceful eulogy to Hutton a despicable and corruot cop puts us in the Police corrupt nations. How John Key let it go us betond my imagination.

 
At 17/6/13 8:28 pm, Blogger paul scott said...

absolutely true, almost unbelievable stupidity as well as corruption

 
At 30/6/13 12:32 am, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Accountability, what's that?

 

Post a Comment

<< Home