NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Former councillor Aaron Bhatnagar: Colin Craig 'impugned my reputation'

Anna Leask
By Anna Leask
Senior Journalist - crime and justice·NZ Herald·
14 Sep, 2016 10:52 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Colin Craig (right) arrives at the Auckland High Court for his defamation trial. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Colin Craig (right) arrives at the Auckland High Court for his defamation trial. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Former Auckland City councillor Aaron Bhatnagar slammed Colin Craig for "impugning" his reputation in a "reckless and ignorant" way.

Bhatnagar, an investor and venture capitalist, gave evidence against former Conservative Party leader Craig at his ongoing High Court defamation trial this morning.

Craig is on trial for allegedly defaming Taxpayers' Union director Jordan Williams.

READ MORE:
Colin Craig defamation case: Rachel MacGregor grilled over resignation
Colin Craig defamation trial: everything you need to know so far

Bhatnagar said Williams contacted him in October 2015 and said Craig had claimed Williams had text messages stored that he planned to use against a political rival.
"According to Mr Craig I had allegedly sent some text messages that Jordan had been storing to use against me," Bhatnagar told the jury.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"He allegedly did this because Jordan was my political rival."

Bhatnagar believed Craig had made the accusation in a bid to show that Williams had a "bad reputation".

He revealed that Williams' lawyers later contacted Craig and advised him that, regarding the information he had passed on, he "had the situation totally wrong".

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Bhatnagar said Craig's accusation was "wrong and reckless".

Aaron Bhatnagar gave evidence this morning. Photo / File
Aaron Bhatnagar gave evidence this morning. Photo / File

"I was angry and disturbed to learn that Mr Craig had incorrectly, ignorantly and recklessly impugned my reputation," he said.

"I am most certainly not a political rival and Jordan has not held text messages as potential ammunition against me. Mr Craig has gone off half-cocked."

Bhatnagar went on to say that all interactions he has had with Williams over the years, including as a financial donor to the Taxpayers' Union, had been positive.

Discover more

New Zealand|politics

Craig trial: Williams breaks down in tears

11 Sep 11:29 PM
New Zealand

'Craig's comments made me angry'

12 Sep 11:48 PM
New Zealand|politics

'Craig kissed me, touched my breast'

13 Sep 07:22 PM
New Zealand

Watch: Craig angry at 'scale of deceit'

15 Sep 01:34 AM

"He was an effective and thoughtful political identity," he said.

"I considered him to be trustworthy. Mr Craig's effort to undermine Jordan's reputation was misguided."

Bhatnagar said he would "welcome" an apology from Craig and warned the former politician about speaking of him in the future.

"I will not hesitate to take legal action if Mr Craig makes any more unfounded accusations or comments about me," he said.

THE DEFAMATION ACCUSATION:

Williams is a friend of Craig's former press secretary Rachel MacGregor.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

She turned to Williams after her shock resignation two days before the 2014 general election and disclosed to him that she felt Craig had sexually harassed her.

Williams said he was "horrified" at MacGregor's claims and revealed all to other Conservative Party members.

When Craig found out he publicly claimed Williams was part of a group of "culprits" determined to have him removed as party leader through a "campaign" of "false accusations".

At a press conference and in a pamphlet sent to more than 1.6 million households across the country, it was stated that Williams was a liar and had "spread false accusations".

Williams then filed defamation proceedings in the High Court, saying he did not lie about Craig.

Earlier this week MacGregor gave evidence in support of Williams' allegation. It is the first time she has spoken at length about her resignation.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

Crime

Man, 23, turns himself in after Auckland market stabbing

22 Jun 08:53 AM
Crime

'Naughty' parolee holding woman at gunpoint left after telling off from toddler

22 Jun 08:00 AM
New Zealand

New Zealander arrested in France charged with attempted murder of political activist

22 Jun 06:37 AM

Jono and Ben brew up a tea-fuelled adventure in Sri Lanka

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

Man, 23, turns himself in after Auckland market stabbing

Man, 23, turns himself in after Auckland market stabbing

22 Jun 08:53 AM

He faces two charges of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

'Naughty' parolee holding woman at gunpoint left after telling off from toddler

'Naughty' parolee holding woman at gunpoint left after telling off from toddler

22 Jun 08:00 AM
New Zealander arrested in France charged with attempted murder of political activist

New Zealander arrested in France charged with attempted murder of political activist

22 Jun 06:37 AM
Two critically injured after multi-vehicle crash on key Auckland road

Two critically injured after multi-vehicle crash on key Auckland road

22 Jun 05:50 AM
Help for those helping hardest-hit
sponsored

Help for those helping hardest-hit

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP