KEY POINTS:
The Corrections Department faces more claims that guards have had work done on the cheap in Auckland Prison's workshop - this time for apparently refitting a 12m yacht and building a spit-roast.
National corrections spokesman Simon Power said in Parliament yesterday that he had been told of guards
having inmates repair and refit their boats, including work on a 12m yacht known in the prison as "HMNZS Corrections".
He also related allegations that an officer whose job it was to investigate corruption had a mechanical spit roast built in the workshop.
The department has already suspended four guards for allegedly using inmates to work on their private homes.
Corrections Minister Damien O'Connor told Mr Power he was unaware of the new allegations and promised they would be thoroughly investigated.
He said the department was setting up a new corruption investigations unit to tackle such cases, and would take cases of inappropriate behaviour to court.
He said Mr Power could help the investigation by giving any information he had to the department.
Mr Power told the Herald he had no evidence to back up the reports and his source was unwilling to talk to the media.
The reports follow those of a former inmate who told the Herald that guards fed prisoners steaks and roasts in return for car repairs and turned a blind eye to allow inmates to work on their own cars.
Yesterday, the former inmate told the Herald he had no knowledge of a 12m yacht, but said the work on it might have happened outside the two years that he was attached to the garage.
He had seen a Corrections officer towing a boat to the workshop, but he did not know if the work done was legitimately paid for or was one of the dodgy deals he claimed to have seen.
"His boat was totally sanded down and patched up, repainted, and it looked brand new when it was finished."
Inmates work in the garage as part of the Corrections inmate employment rehabilitation scheme. Although it is open for private work, an appropriate fee is chargeable.
Mr Power said the Auckland Prison reports came on top of the ongoing corruptions inquiry at Rimutaka Prison and showed corruption was more widespread than Mr O'Connor or the Corrections Department were letting on.
Corrections chief executive Barry Matthews yesterday restated that he did not believe corruption was widespread.
He said that of 7000 staff, including 3080 uniformed Corrections officers, a total of 10 officers were currently suspended.
"I believe uniformed Corrections officers are highly professional and that the few found not to be are damaging the reputations of the many. Regrettably most large organisations have some staff who let the side down. I don't believe Corrections is unique in that respect."
The team was part of a major overhaul of the department's structure and was expected to be in place by July.
A decision by the law and order select committee on whether to hold an inquiry into the Corrections Department and the allegations of corruption was yesterday delayed until July 25.
