Sikhs want cop taken off voter-fraud inquiry

Photo / APN

A police officer investigating the alleged Super City voter fraud has been accused of being aggressive and abusing interview subjects - but police bosses say he won't be taken off the inquiry.

Police are investigating claims that people from throughout the North Island enrolled to vote in the Papatoetoe subdivision of the Otara-Papatoetoe Local Board for this month's local government elections.

The allegations against the officer were made by the NZ Sikh Society, which has asked that he be removed from the investigation team while the society's claims are investigated.

In a letter to Counties Manukau area commander Superintendent Mike Bush, Sikh Society spokesman Manpreet Singh said the officer's "general attitude" towards interviewees was "unnecessarily aggressive", and he had used abusive language.

Mr Singh alleged the officer asked interviewees whom they would vote for in the Super City and tried to implicate a particular candidate with "leading" questions.

"More seriously, he offered money to one interviewee in exchange to name one particular candidate for irregularities in elections."

Some community members alleged their properties were searched without warrants and that items had been removed from other properties - which were covered by search warrants - in breach of the conditions.

Mr Singh said the society believed police had breached protocols during the investigation. A number of individuals and families were prepared to give evidence concerning the allegations, he said.

Mr Bush confirmed that a letter of complaint had been received and said an internal investigation had begun.

"The complainant identifies one officer and levels specific allegations of that officer and furthermore requests that officer be removed from the investigation."

But the officer would not be taken off the inquiry.

"Without pre-empting the outcome, I will confirm that the officer identified will not be removed from the investigation at this stage."

Mr Bush said the type of allegations levelled at the officer weren't consistent with the professionalism and dedication he had shown in his police career.