Mangere MP Taito Phillip Field allegedly told a Thai immigrant to stop co-operating with investigators probing allegations against him.
Jinda Thaivichit yesterday told a Manukau District Court depositions hearing she had been interviewed several times by independent investigator Noel Ingram, QC, but was finally told by Field to
refuse any requests for further meetings.
She told prosecutor David Johnstone that Field - known to Thai immigrants as "Big Dad" - had told her to stop co-operating "because if we give interviews many times, the answers will be different".
Field faces 40 bribery, corruption and obstruction of justice charges after allegedly allowing several Thais - whom he was helping with immigration issues - to work on his properties for little money apart from the cost of materials.
The offending is alleged to have taken place between November 2002 andOctober 2005.
Ms Thaivichit also gave evidence of acting as an intermediary, translating letters and phone calls between Field and Thai tiler Sunan Siriwan after the allegations surfaced against Field.
She also translated a statement from Mr Siriwan, and had written to him with instructions from Field on what he should tell Ingram investigators.
Mr Siriwan later told the Ingram inquiry he had seen no other Thai people at Field's Samoan property. Ms Thaivichit told the court Field's family summoned a group of about 10 Thais for a meeting after the police began investigating Field.
She said Field had called the meeting as he wanted to say goodbye because he was "going on his holidays and everything is in police hands".
"He said everyone should give the same answers [to police]. If we didn't give the same answers, then he would be in trouble."
