A protest letter has been sent to the prime minister Jacinda Ardern
asking her to stop the Defence Force being allowed to set up a special
unit and spend large sums of public money to try to influence the
Government Inquiry into Operation Burnham and Related Matters. Operation
Burnham is the ill-fated 2010 SAS raid that led to 21 dead and injured
civilians.
Hit and Run Inquiry Campaign spokesperson Tim Webb said the government
has allocated two million dollars of public money to an independent
inquiry and it should be left to them to establish the truth. “All the
Defence Force should be doing is handing over information and providing
witnesses. They should not be spening millions more on a special unit,
PR people and expensive lawyers. This is simply a continuation of seven
years of Defence Force denial and cover up.”
The Defence Force revealed recently that it is setting up a 12-person
unit that will be supported by additional staff as well. An organisation
plan shows about 20 staff in total assigned to trying to put the NZDF’s
case to the inquiry.
“The point is that NZDF is not a neutral party in this inquiry. It is
being investigated not only for wrongdoing but years of trying to hide
the wrongdoing.”
“If there were allegations of misconduct in the Ministry of Housing or
Department of Corrections, no one would think it was appropriate for
that organisation to pour public resources into trying to defend its
staff. It should all be left to the government inquiry. It is exactly
the same with the Defence Force. It should quietly cooperate and
otherwise leave it to the commissioners to do the job.”
Links:
http://www.nzdf.mil.nz/news/media-releases/2018/nzdf-special-inquiry-office-established.htm
