Shirley refuses to apologise, labels inquiry a whitewash

An investigation into allegations of corruption and dysfunction at the Greymouth police station was a whitewash, ACT MP Ken Shirley says.

A report released today cleared Greymouth police of allegations made by Mr Shirley, who rejected calls he now apologise.

An inquiry by Detective Superintendent Peter Marshall found no substance to his claims.

Stuart Grieve QC reviewed those findings and came to a similar conclusion in his own report released today.

Police Association president Greg O'Connor called on Mr Shirley to apologise.

Rather than being corrupt, the report showed Greymouth police to be perhaps the cleanest in the country, he said.

Mr Shirley told NZPA he would not apologise for taking his allegations to Police Minister George Hawkins.

There had been no independent inquiry, as the police had not wanted one, he said.

Whistle-blowing constables Jeff Andrew and Nadine Thomas had been paid compensation and gagged from talking to the news media, he said.

Mr Shirley would not reveal the amount of the compensation. Nor would he provide written proof of it.

``I have been told directly from them that was the case, and from their solicitor,'' he said.

``It is an appalling misappropriation of public resources by the police.

``There are too many police officers being paid for doing nothing because of internal dysfunctionalities.''

Mr Shirley had made public claims by the constables that colleagues tampered with evidence and police files.

They alleged their colleagues urinated on confiscated property and worked off-duty as security officers at horse racing meetings.

After their whistle-blowing was made public they were transferred on full pay, Mr Shirley said.

Constables Thomas and Andrew now work in the traffic section in Canterbury.

When their complaints were initially made public, they went on sick leave on full pay -- each for more than six months.

It was regrettable the Police Association was trying to cover its own tracks in an issue it had failed to properly address, Mr Shirley said.

Mr Grieve rejected 31 of the 32 allegations of corruption and dysfunction.

He upheld a matter of processes involving Mr Andrew and Ms Thomas.

Mr O'Connor said he had never read a report so exonerating and opposite to what had been alleged.

Nothing short of an apology from Mr Shirley would be adequate for the environment created over the past 10 months, he said.

ACT's website contained names of officers alleged to have been corrupt.

It was understood a number of these and other individuals named were taking legal advice relating to compensation.

West Coast-Tasman police chief Superintendent Grant O'Fee also welcomed the findings.

He would review the reports and the Police Complaints Authority would decide whether the officers' actions required disciplinary action.

The officers have a personal grievance claim outstanding against Mr O'Fee.

- NZPA