Thai's new claims contradict MP

An affidavit from the Thai tiler at the centre of the Taito Phillip Field investigation contains damning claims that contradict what he told the Ingram inquiry.

Sunan Siriwan - who said he had poor recollection of his meetings with Mr Field when interviewed for the Ingram inquiry - now claims he had not been free to speak the truth.

In two affidavits the National Party tabled in Parliament yesterday, Mr Siriwan alleges Mr Field instructed him to tell the police he had not done any tiling on the Mangere MP's property in Samoa.

The affidavits also allege Mr Field last year invited Mr Siriwan to his house in Mangere and told him that if he went to Samoa to do tiling on Mr Field's house, "he will get me back to New Zealand with a work permit".

Mr Field's lawyer, Simativa Perese, last night rejected the Thai's version of events. Mr Perese said Mr Siriwan had been interviewed by the Ingram inquiry for five hours with an independent interpreter and had not said what he was saying now.

The release of Mr Siriwan's claims comes at an awkward time for Labour, which is heading into its annual conference this weekend trying to focus on the future.

Mr Field is on leave on full pay while the police investigate allegations against him, and is not expected to be at the conference.

But National is trying to make sure his shadow remains over Labour, and yesterday its MPs extracted as much political gain as they could from Mr Siriwan's affidavits.

Deputy leader Gerry Brownlee asked the Prime Minister during question time if she thought it was acceptable for Mr Field "to attempt to obstruct the police investigation into his activities".

Answering on behalf of Helen Clark, Deputy Prime Minister Michael Cullen said any new allegations and evidence could be referred to the police.

Dr Cullen and Immigration Minister David Cunliffe also said Mr Siriwan had had the opportunity to make the allegations during the Ingram inquiry but hadn't.

"The member [Mr Brownlee] may well ask why the person alleging those matters feels free to speak now, when he did not feel so free earlier," Mr Cunliffe said.

In his affidavits, Mr Siriwan said he tiled and painted the inside of Mr Field's house in Apia.

He lived in the house and was paid 200 tala (about $105) a week for food while he worked.

Mr Siriwan said Mr Field saw him on his knees sanding and levelling the floor to get it ready for tiling around the end of March last year.

That claim contradicts part of the Ingram report, which said evidence did not support a finding that Mr Field knew Mr Siriwan was working on the Samoan house in May last year.

Mr Siriwan said that "at all times, I expected Taito to keep his word that he will return me to New Zealand with a valid work permit to work".

"That is why I worked very hard for Taito."

The Immigration Service is considering applications for work visas from Mr Siriwan and his partner.


Taito was very angry, says tiler

Taito Phillip Field grew angry when shown a copy of a Herald article which revealed that Sunan Suriwan and his partner were trying to return to New Zealand, an affidavit shows.

According to a detailed affidavit made by Mr Suriwan, Mr Field read the October 6 article and asked the Thai tiler if he had said what was contained in the story.

Mr Suriwan said, "Yes, Taito!"

Mr Field then asked if Mr Suriwan had made the comments to Olinda Woodroffe, the lawyer representing him.

Mr Suriwan said he couldn't lie, so he confirmed he had spoken to a Thai lady, who spoke to the lawyer.

The reference to a Thai lady appears to relate to an interpreter.

According to the affidavit, Mr Field then said, "I and my family can't help you any more", followed by "Sunan goodbye".

"Taito was very angry," the affidavit states.

Mr Field's daughter Dorothy then allegedly turned to Mr Suriwan's partner and accused her of telling "lies about my Mum and Dad".

The Thai couple claim they cried after Dorothy called them idiots and told them to "get out".


The story so far

* Taito Phillip Field was accused of accepting cheap labour on his properties from people he helped with immigration.

* An inquiry by Noel Ingram, QC, cleared Mr Field of any conflict of interest as a minister.

* But new allegations suggest Mr Field or his wife misled either the Ingram inquiry or the Samoan Government.

* His former electorate secretary also claims the Labour MP instructed someone to alter a Samoan birth certificate.

* Labour has stood Mr Field down on full pay while the police investigate the allegations.

* Sunan Siriwan, the man at the centre of the allegations, has now spoken out from Samoa with claims that are vastly different from what he told the Ingram inquiry.