As we talk about handing the NZ Police even more powers, a hang over from the last expansion of Police powers has just bitten them in the arse…
Police have been told to pay $126,000 in court and legal costs to the employer accused of profiting from health and safety breaches after an early skirmish in the landmark case.
In a significant High Court loss, police were told they would have to underwrite losses suffered by waste oil merchant Ron Salter and his businesses if they fail to prove their proceeds of crime case against him – as well as the legal costs involved in getting the undertaking.
Salter was convicted after Jamey Lee Bowring, 24, was killed in 2015 while welding on a silo filled with explosive fumes from waste oil at Salters Cartage headquarters in Wiri, South Auckland. Salter was fined about $400,000 and sentenced to 4½ months’ home detention.
Last year, police filed a case with the High Court at Auckland alleging profits from the operation of the business when it was in breach of health and safety laws were the proceeds of crime.
…the proceeds of crimes act was supposed to be used to catch criminal organizations who were making cash from their crime, but the cops astoundingly attempted to use this power in a civil matter against a business owner in a bizarre attempt to open a law that was supposed to be used against organised crime to every business owner.
The cops getting smashed this hard is important at a time we are once again looking to hand even more powers over to cops with the anti terrorism act, if there are no checks and balances to these powers, police always end up abusing them.
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Good job too! The NZ police have a habit of making moral judgement (s) about people, then bending (misapplying) the law to effect punishment for that (perceived??) transgression. We are on the slippery slope to fascism, as a people we need to plant our feet in place against this.
Absolute overstepping by police – especially when the proceeds of crime money is now being given to mobsters like Harry Tam! It would not have been so egregious, if it was not for millions of dollars on a small pilot, and appears to be more about buying the growing mobster votes in NZ. Meanwhile other types of mental health and non mobster led rehabilitation are underfunded.
If this company had dangerous and mislabeled items then he should have been prosecuted by work and safety for the fine. In addition Rio Tinto waste has been doing the same apparently, and they have got government funding to clean it up as well as millions in power subsidies.
Too many double standards growing in NZ.
Too much money going to criminal groups while big business gets subsidies and the only ones paying for justice are the little people who are the ones the police and government agencies seem politically motivated to go after.
Police, should be solving crimes, not revenue gathering.
Judge Mathew Palmer, Geoffrey Palmer’s son. Enough said.
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