GUEST BLOG: Gerard Otto – Media silence about police investigation for 103 days

On 17th October 2018 former National MP Jami-Lee Ross emerged from the Victoria Street police station in Wellington after filing a complaint on leader Simon Bridges.

The complaint concerned political donations.

Among his allegations, Mr Ross said Mr Bridges had knowingly filed a false election return which noted a donation from a group called the Cathedral Club.

That donation was later removed from Mr Bridges’ return.

Mr Ross also complained Mr Bridges had asked him to split a $100,000 donation from businessman Zhang Yikun into smaller parts, so it was below the threshold where it would have to be made public.

After emerging from the station he told media the police will be investigating the complaint.

Shortly afterwards the media confirmed there was a police investigation – but then mysteriously fell silent about the investigation for around 100 days.

Nobody in the public knew and still do not know anything about the progress of that investigation.

Which raises questions.

Like what the fuck is going on?

Why is this taking so long?

Are the media asleep?

Fran O’Sullivan wrote on 26 January 2019 :

“Despite the public front National has adopted on the donations issue, it has still not satisfactorily dealt with Ross’ claim that he was effectively asked to wash a $100,000 donation from Yikun Zhang by ensuring it was split into smaller amounts.”

Fran also wrote about the police investigation into electoral matters :

” National is not going to wash its dirty linen in public but the allegations their former party whip raised are of sufficient merit for police to finalise that particular probe.”

The Police Media Centre responds to enquiries from journalists and proactively gives information on investigations, operations and all aspects of police work.

The media team has access to most of the main information systems used by Police.

It’s now about 103 days since the complaint was laid with police and during that time media have had nothing to say about it’s progress despite the high public interest in the issues at stake.

No journalist in New Zealand has reported anything about about when Police expect the investigation will be finalised – nor have the police provided any update about it to media.

No journalist even reported that Police had made no comment or anything at all.

This was a super massive black hole.

Or was everyone too busy?

Political journalists were more busy writing endless headlines and articles about Karel Sroubek than reporting about possible foreign influence within our electoral system.

The issue of a foreign nation exerting political influence was raised by Anne-Marie Brady in her policy paper “Magic Weapons” last year and it has a very high degree of public interest.

Notably the investigation into the break in into Anne-Marie’s home in February 2018 is still ongoing as well – about a year down the track – although police have said they have positive lines of inquiry.

Police has the largest demand of any individual Government department and can receive up to 200 media enquiries a day.

So maybe they are just busy – or maybe this most pertinent issue runs way deeper down a rabbit hole than we all fear?

Suddenly National have become concerned with Nick Smith going public saying he wants reform to the electoral system.

The timing of this new concern may be a foreshadowing of what is about to emerge :

“It is obvious that there is sufficient underlying truth to Ross’ claims on this score to have provoked senior National MPs to call for change.” – wrote Fran.

Nothing happens in politics without a reason and the “underlying truth” may cast a very bad light upon National unless they speak out now to the contrary.

The fingerprints are all over this as Nick Smith makes loud noises “out of the blue ” in close proximity to the chopping block.

Maybe one of the public should ask the Police Media centre for an update – because it seems our MSM have other headlines to chase?