Key demands urgent investigation on Wilce

Stephen Wilce outside his home in Devonport yesterday. He has declined to answer questions about his work experience. Photo / Natalie Slade

Prime Minister John Key yesterday ordered an urgent investigation into the Security Intelligence Service's checks on former defence technology boss Stephen Wilce before he was granted access to top secret information.

Mr Wilce resigned last week as head of the Defence Technology Agency after TV3's 60 Minutes programme reported his extravagant claims about his professional and sporting achievements, including being an international rugby player and an Olympic bobsleigher.

Mr Key said State Services Commissioner Iain Rennie had appointed a former secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Neil Walter, to investigate the SIS's vetting processes at the time of Mr Wilce's appointment in 2005 and the adequacy of the current vetting system.

The investigation would check the system test whether it is "fit for purpose" and whether any recommendations should be made on strengthening the system.

The Defence Force has started an inquiry into Mr Wilce's original appointment and a separate court of inquiry under the Defence Discipline Act into his work since then including what information he had access to during that time.

Mr Key said he considered the issue to be serious, and he wanted urgent attention given to the inquiry.

"On the face of things it looks worrying, and that's why as a government we have asked for a number of inquiries to be undertaken," Mr Key said.

"I hasten to add we need to understand what's gone on here fully before we jump to conclusions about where the fault might lie."

After John Davy at Maori TV and Mary Anne Thompson at the Immigration Service, Mr Wilce was the third high-profile example of people getting into top government jobs, "where it doesn't seem on the face of things to be very difficult to point out that their CVs looked bogus".

"I think we've got to ask whether everybody is doing their job properly and if not why not. That's the purpose of the Defence reviews taking place and the purpose of the SIS review."

Neither Mr Key nor a spokeswoman for the police was aware of any police involvement at this stage.

Mr Key said Mr Wilce's appointment was made five years ago under the previous Government, and the current Defence Force chief, Lieutenant General Jerry Mateparae, had publicly said employment processes had changed since then.

Mr Key said he was not in a position to comment on employment agency Momentum Consulting's role in Mr Wilce's appointment or whether he had confidence in its recent work appointing executives to roles in the new Auckland Super City council.

All three investigations are expected to be completed before the end of the month.

Labour leader Phil Goff said the affair reflected poorly on Momentum, the Defence Force and the SIS.

"Momentum clearly didn't do its job in checking Mr Wilce's employment record, his references and the claims he made and Defence should have had some checks in place to establish someone going to a senior position had achieved what he said he had."

Mr Goff said any potential high level job candidate's application was an important reflection on their integrity.

"It seems the SIS may not have checked with his previous employers to see what his track record was or to check whether what was in his CV was an accurate reflection of his employment qualifications and experience."

Mr Wilce did not return the Herald's calls yesterday but a woman, who identified herself as Trisha Wilce, said neither she nor Mr Wilce was prepared to comment.