Field case witness accused of lying

A Thai tiler who claimed he was asked by Taito Phillip Field to work on his house in Samoa in exchange for a work permit was yesterday accused of telling lies.

Sunan Siriwan, giving evidence at the High Court at Auckland, was told by Field's lawyer Paul Davison, QC, that the evidence he gave at a preliminary depositions hearing was "utter nonsense".

Field, a former MP, faces 12 bribery and corruption charges alleging he employed Thai nationals to work on his properties in return for help with immigration issues.

He also faces 23 charges alleging he attempted to obstruct or pervert the course of justice during an inquiry by Noel Ingram, QC, into the corruption allegations and to a subsequent police inquiry.

Mr Davison asked Mr Siriwan if he swore an oath to tell the truth when he gave evidence at a preliminary depositions hearing in April last year.

Mr Siriwan agreed, and confirmed that the evidence was read back to him in Thai.

"As you heard your evidence being read back to you, you had the chance to correct anything said wrongly on the record?" Mr Davison said.

Mr Siriwan agreed.

Mr Davison read out evidence given by Mr Siriwan previously.

"Did you say then that your wife was living with a friend in Henderson when she was caught by immigration?" Mr Davison asked.

"She did not stay at the house in Henderson. She was just there when she was caught," Mr Siriwan said.

"So when you said she was living in Henderson with a friend, was that a mistake or a deliberate lie?" Mr Davison asked.

Mr Siriwan insisted that he meant his wife was staying at a friend's house in Henderson when she was caught.

The court was told earlier that Siriwan's Thai wife Aumporn Phanngarm was taken into custody by New Zealand Immigration Service on February 2, 2005.

She was removed from New Zealand three days later.

Field was expelled from the Labour Party in 2007.

- NZPA