A private investigator was hired to probe Joe Karam's financial affairs and statements he made about two police officers involved in the Bain murder inquiry, a defamation trial at the High Court in Auckland heard yesterday.
The revelation emerged when Mr Karam's lawyer, Julian Miles, QC, was cross-examining retired detective Milton Weir, who was in charge of the Bain home after five members of the Dunedin family were found shot dead in 1994.
Mr Weir and Detective Sergeant Kevin Anderson are suing Mr Karam and Reed Publishing for a total of $430,000.
Don Mathieson, QC, representing the plaintiffs, has said the book implied that Mr Weir planted evidence during the inquiry.
It is also claimed the book implies that Detective Sergeant Anderson committed perjury during the David Bain murder trial.
Yesterday, Mr Weir acknowledged during cross-examination that a private investigator had been hired on his and Detective Sergeant Anderson's behalf to investigate Mr Karam before they decided to take the defamation case.
Initially, Mr Weir said the private eye was to look at Mr Karam's financial means.
But after being referred to a solicitor-to-solicitor letter, he agreed with Mr Miles that the purpose of hiring the investigator was also to check what statements Mr Karam had been making about the plaintiffs.
The trial continues today.
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