Operation Slush finally comes to an end on Friday 2 October

What a roller coaster ride in the High Court as the long running case dubbed Operation Slush comes to an end on Friday 2 October. The last two weeks have seen a more aggressive approach by the defence aimed at discrediting the Crown case against the co-defendants, Norman George, Chris Vaile and Chris Koronui.
Defence asked why the investigation took years to complete including numerous trips to the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and Fraud Squad in New Zealand and contend that the long delay has prejudiced the defendants.
They contend that after the investigation was at an end, that SFO had informed Detective Inspector Mark Franklin (the officer in charge) that there was sufficient evidence to charge the defendants but insufficient evidence to convict.
This was during the cross examination of Police Commissioner, Maara Tetava during which defence asked the court to exclude Detective Inspector Mark Franklin as he would also be called to the witness box after the Commissioner.
The Commissioner was cross examined about his misgivings at the close friendship between Pira Wichman who had daily meetings with the Minister (Norman George)? Yes he did raise his concerns including the Minister (George) inviting the Commissioner (Wichman) and his son to travel on the Ngamaru to visit the outer islands. Yes, he could not see the point of the visit given that Wichman had just begun his term as Commissioner.
Tetava said the Commissioner(Wichman) had received a letter of complaint from the Minister’s office alleging that the conduct of the police during an interview of Charles Koronui amounted to a perversion of justice.
The letter outlined 15 points one of which was the allegation that the investigating officer had tried to pressure Charles Koronui into saying that the Minister was involved with Areai and that Koronui had been so angry that he had walked out. The Commissioner said Koronui was within his rights to leave the interview if he wished.
Did he think that the offer of immunity to Areai in return for turning Crown witness against the co-defendants might have led to his ‘trying to please’ the investigating officer by adding information that was not necessarily so? The current Commissioner said he was not directly involved but he would take it on what the investigating officer said.
Did he believe the investigating officer tried to pressure Charles Koronui into saying that the Minister was involved with Areai and that Koronui had been so angry that he had walked out? Not so but Koronui was within his rights to leave the interview if he wished.
Detective Inspector Franklin was also put in the witness box to explain why he had not followed up on key points in Area’s written statement who in the course of trial has admitted to having been less than truthful.
Operation Slush ends on Friday 2 October with defence already signaling to Justice Nicholson that they will be making submissions to that they have no case to answer and to dismiss the case.