John Banks' retrial set for July in High Court

Former Act Party leader John Banks. Photo / Dean Purcell

Former Act Party leader John Banks is set to be back before the High Court in July for a retrial.

Mr Banks was convicted in the High Court last year after not disclosing donations from internet mogul Kim Dotcom to his Auckland mayoralty campaign in 2010.

But in November the Court of Appeal overturned his conviction and ordered a new trial.

The decision had to be confirmed by the Solicitor-General, which was done last week.

The case came before the High Court at Auckland this morning where the retrial date was set.

The issue will go to the High Court in Auckland on Tuesday.

Mr Banks appealed against his conviction, introducing affidavits from two US-based businessmen who he said were at the same lunch at which Mr Dotcom claimed donations were discussed.

The men, David Schaeffer and Jeffery Karnes, said donations were not discussed at that lunch.

The Court of Appeal said it was satisfied that if the evidence had been before [High Court judge] Justice Wylie the outcome might have been different, and it was in the interests of justice to admit it.

Amanda Banks, who now lives apart from her husband, was at the lunch and was a key witness in the High Court hearing. The Court of Appeal's decision noted Mrs Banks "was stung by the judge's opinion of her reliability. She became quite obsessed, as she puts it, with identifying the two Americans."

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