Police will speak to tiler 'in time', wherever he is

Police say they will interview the Thai tiler at the centre of the Taito Phillip Field inquiry when they are ready - whether he is in New Zealand or not.

Sunan Siriwan's lawyer this week cast doubt on police interest in her client, saying investigators didn't appear definite about talking to him.

But police spokesman Jon Neilson yesterday said the inquiry team would speak to Mr Siriwan "in time".

"Where he is spoken to will depend on where he is at the time," Mr Neilson said.

"The police don't have any authority to bring him back, because he's not committed any crimes or anything like that. But in time he will be spoken to."

Asked if that meant police might talk to Mr Siriwan in Samoa or even Thailand, Mr Neilson said: "Wherever, yes, wherever he happens to be at the time, we'll talk to him."

On August 31, police announced an inquiry into allegations swirling around Labour's Mangere MP, but the lawyers for both Mr Field and Mr Siriwan said investigators had not yet formally interviewed either of the central figures.

Mr Siriwan, his partner and their son are in Samoa while lawyer Olinda Woodroffe tries to secure their return to New Zealand. Ms Woodroffe yesterday said that when she spoke to police on Thursday they appeared "far from definite" about whether they would talk to Mr Siriwan.

"To me, the Thai couple are crucial to the investigation," she said. "I would have thought this should be given priority so that we can restore confidence in Helen Clark's Parliament."

Ms Woodroffe said she understood Mr Siriwan's visa allowing him to be in Samoa expired on November 1.

While she was offering to sponsor the family herself so they could stay longer, it was possible they could be deported to Thailand.

Extending the family's Samoan visa was hampered by the fact their passports were sent to New Zealand with their application to immigration officials here, Ms Woodroffe said.

Mr Field is on indefinite paid leave from Parliament while police investigate his dealings with constituents seeking help.

His lawyer Simativa Perese yesterday disputed Mr Siriwan's version of the circumstances under which Mr Field handed money to the Thai tiler in Samoa.

Mr Siriwan has signed an affidavit that, says Ms Woodroffe, makes a link between the money and what he has been urged to tell the police. But Mr Perese described Mr Siriwan's version of events as "nonsense".

"I know from my client that his version of events, his recollection of what happened, is completely different," he said on National Radio.

Ms Woodroffe said she understood there had been several attempts by members of the Field family to contact the Siriwans since they moved out of a Field family home in Apia.

"They have not responded to the phone because they are scared to answer the calls," Ms Woodroffe said. "They are scared in case they are asked to identify where they are staying."

She added that Mr Siriwan had a cellphone in Samoa and twice while she was present it had rung and Mr Siriwan had said the call was from Mr Field's number.