Devoy told 'don't answer phone' over foreign driver furore

Dame Susan replaced Joris de Bres to take up the five-year role on April 1, 2013. Photo / File

Race Relations Commissioner Dame Susan Devoy was advised to ignore calls and don't answer the phone following concerns raised over foreign drivers.

Last month, the Otago Daily Times requested an interview with the commissioner after publishing a story on a Dunedin man who snatched keys from a foreign driver.

Following her refusal to front, the ODT filed an Official Information Act (OIA) request for all documents received or sent by the commissioner on the topic.

The first email, from an undisclosed employee of the Human Rights Commission immediately following the OIA request, advised the commissioner to "ignore calls and don't answer phone".

"Media are after you for comment on foreign drivers getting keys taken off them ... we really don't want to get into this ... Police have had their say, PM is all over it etc etc so we are best to leave it at this."

A follow-up email to the commissioner said: "I want to keep comments from me so that you are not seen to be commenting on this issue at all ... Right now we've had no complaints and it's an operational policing issue that needs to be sorted out at that level immediately, it is also anecdotal with a lot of media hype."

Dame Susan replaced Joris de Bres to take up the five-year role on April 1, 2013.