Officials on Samoa visit went to Field house

Taito Phillip Field is defending 35 charges. Photo / Greg Bowker

A former top policeman yesterday told a High Court jury in Auckland of a 2005 visit to the Samoan home of Taito Phillip Field.

Rob Robinson, who was Police Commissioner at the time, told Crown Solicitor Simon Moore, SC, he had visited Samoa in March that year as part of a "multi-agency venture" that included the signing of a memorandum of understanding between New Zealand and Samoan police.

A number of New Zealand MPs were also on the trip, including current Labour leader Phil Goff, the Corrections Minister at the time, Paul Swain, and Field, who was then MP for Mangere and a Government minister.

Field is defending 35 bribery, corruption and obstruction of justice charges after allegedly allowing Thai immigrants to work for him in exchange for immigration assistance.

He denies the allegations.

Mr Robinson told the court the group had been travelling around the island in a fleet of six Samoan police limousines.

As the entourage approached Apia, it detoured into the hills above the city.

Mr Robinson was informed that Field had asked if he could show his parliamentary colleagues his Samoan property.

On the site, Mr Robinson was introduced to a Pakeha man in his late 40s or early 50s referred to as "the builder".

He told the court of seeing other people on the site, but could not be certain what they were doing.

"I have the impression that they were building workers on the building site."

Manukau East MP Ross Robertson also gave evidence yesterday, telling the court of a 2005 trip to Samoa that included visits to Field's property.

Mr Robertson told of visiting the property on one occasion and finding two men who "had only just got out of bed".

"One was a European. The other one was an Asian."

Field's lawyer, Paul Davison, QC, accepted the men were builder Keith Williams and Thai tiler Sunan Siriwan.

Under cross-examination by Mr Davison, Mr Robertson said he had known Field for 14 years and had always found him to be honest.

The trial continues before Justice Rodney Hansen.