Helen Clark said today that police had little choice but to honour the terms of Clint Rickards' employment contract, under which he has received a new $50,000 car.
National had reacted angrily to a report that the assistant commissioner, who has been suspended for three years, was given
the Holden Commodore as part of his estimated $250,000 remuneration package.
But Miss Clark said that although keeping Mr Rickards on the payroll was expensive it was important that proper employment processes were followed.
"If processes aren't followed properly then they can end up costing a lot more money," Miss Clark said on TVNZ's Breakfast programme.
National's police spokesman, Chester Borrows, said the vehicle would not be used for police business because Mr Rickards was barred from entering police premises.
"Not a single kilometre on the car just retired will have been used for police work by Clint Rickards, and there is little chance that the new set of wheels will be used on official business any time soon," he said.
"There will quite rightfully be a public outcry that a suspended employee, who hasn't been anywhere near police work for three years, can have his vehicle replaced."
Police spokesman Jon Neilson said Mr Rickards' employment issues were still under review.
He said police chiefs such as Mr Rickards were entitled to a new vehicle every three years.
Mr Rickards was suspended after Rotorua woman Louise Nicholas alleged he and former officers Brad Shipton and Bob Schollum raped her in the early 1980s.
All three were acquitted, but Mr Rickards admitted he had group sex with Mrs Nicholas.
The Sunday News report said Mr Rickards, a police officer for 27 years, was likely to face an internal disciplinary process over the sexual liaisons with her, a woman's allegation that he had sex with her on the bonnet of a police car in 1983, and his public criticism of the competence of the police investigation into the allegations by Mrs Nicholas and other women.
- NZPA
