Immigration assistance not linked to work
Field said he gave immigration assistance to several Thai people but it was never linked in any way to work done on his houses.
The court was told that Thai couple Sompong Srikaew and his wife Phisimai Phothisarn were the first people to approach Field in 2002, as they were due to be removed from New Zealand.
Field said he offered for them to stay at one of his rental properties in Auckland but he did not charge them to stay there. They offered to make some improvements to the house.
Field said he made it clear to them they should give him the bills for any repair work so he could pay for it.
He attributed the fact they did work on the house as being grateful for living at the house rent free, and not for help he was giving them on their immigration status.
About the time they stayed at Prangley Ave, Field wrote to the Associate Immigration Minister and the Immigration Service for them.
"I did not see it as a bribe ... friendships developed. It was friends helping friends." Any suggestion of a cover-up was "totally untrue".
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Field did not ask witness to lie
Field was asked by his lawyer, Paul Davison QC, if he told Mr Siriwan to deny he worked at his house Field said: "No. There were no words to that effect."
He also denied telling the Thai people that he would be "locked up" if they spoke to police and gestured to them with his hands together, as if they were handcuffed. "That's a total fabrication...there was no such gesture or comments," he said.
Field told the court what he did say was while the police were investigating it wasn't appropriate for him to see them.
When it became apparent Mr Siriwan had spoken to an Auckland lawyer Field said he was upset - but didn't order him and his family to leave his daughter's house.
"They were looked after by our family...they didn't live in poverty, they lived rent free for more than a year and had food supplied."
Co-operate with police, Field said
Field told his family and Thai friends to co-operate with police and tell the truth when allegations of wrong-doing surfaced.
He denied telling them to fix their stories so they were all the same.
"What I can recall is telling them to tell the truth and by telling the truth is consistency. I don't know how [Jinda Thaivichit] translated it."
However, he also told them not to volunteer information that they were not asked about.
Field's book keeping "not good at all"
Paul Davison QC asked Field about his book keeping.
"My record keeping was not very good at all, regrettably.
"You regret a lot of things in hindsight. My time in Auckland was limited to Mondays and Fridays, and I was pretty busy. My mind was not focused on this.
"There were several cheques and payments made, both to the plasterers and the painters. I thought if there was anything outstanding they would have brought me a bill," Field said.
Field offered house to desperate Thai couple
Field said he offered a Thai couple facing deportation accommodation because of their desperate situation.
He said he did not take money from them and paid them $200 for repair work they carried out at his flat.
"The woman was moving from house to house with a baby," Field said. "At that point I helped them out on a temporary basis by offering for them to stay at one of my rental properties in Auckland until we got a response from Parliament."
Summary of Field's defence
Taito Phillip Field with his lawyer Paul Davison QC. Photo / Richard Robinson
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