An Auckland sales manager has been accused of falsely using environmental watchdog Greenpeace to scare North Shore residents about a chemical company.
At a depositions hearing before two Justices of the Peace at the Manukau District Court yesterday, the man, who has interim name suppression, faced one charge of forgery and
one charge of reproducing a forged document.
Police prosecutor Eardley Dijkstra told the court that last year North Shore residents began receiving what looked like Greenpeace leaflets in their letterboxes.
The flyers warned residents that they were being exposed to highly toxic concentrates from chemical company Chemcolour Industries (NZ) in Glenfield.
It also said homeowners close to the factory, in Poland Rd, would not be able to give away their houses because Chemcolour had recently switched to manufacturing toxic pesticides that were not only a potential health risk but highly flammable.
But the leaflet, which advised residents to mount a campaign against Chemcolour with their local council and MP, was not from Greenpeace.
Chemcolour and the company where the defendant worked were tendering for a lucrative chemical herbicide contract when the flyer was distributed. Chemcolour hired a private detective firm to find out who was responsible.
Police said they searched the defendant's home and found the contents of the leaflet on a computer and other papers linked to the leaflet.
Under cross-examination by defence lawyer Paul Davison, QC, Greenpeace executive director Margaret Crozier told the court the organisation heard about the flyers in March after getting calls from residents.
It had cooperated with private investigators to find out who had distributed the flyer.
Ms Crozier said Greenpeace had not investigated the allegations in the leaflet but was concerned about the misuse of its name.
"We were not in a position to evaluate the information [contained in the leaflet]."
Ms Crozier said Greenpeace did not lay a complaint with police over the name issue but urged residents by letter to cooperate with the private investigators to find out who had produced the leaflet.
After the letter went out, Greenpeace was accused of supporting Chemcolour, she said.
The organisation had made it clear it was not endorsing the chemical company.
The hearing continues today.
