KEY POINTS:
The police sex scandal has cost taxpayers more than $19 million.
The biggest part of the bill is the $12.3 million cost of Operation Austin - the police investigation that began with Louise Nicholas's allegations of pack-rape and corruption by police officers including Clint Rickards, then an assistant commissioner.
It also includes Mr Rickards' $300,000 payout, a figure which the Weekend Herald today reveals was boosted by $170,000 because of what the Chief Ombudsman believes was a flaw in his contract.
Operation Austin is the police's most expensive investigation. Its officers worked at least 99,527 hours - which at the police estimate of $77 an hour, would have cost $7.6 million. The operation also incurred a further $4.6 million in other costs.
Mrs Nicholas said while she "felt stink" about the cost to the taxpayer, the only money she received was about $300 in witness fees.
"In hindsight, if it had been stopped when I first complained, if everything was above board, it would never have come to this."
The cost to the taxpayer could rise further if Mrs Nicholas and the other women involved seek compensation.
Mr Rickards could not be reached for comment, but his lawyer, John Haigh, QC, said the "staggering" cost was unsurprising.
"It was clearly evident that there were no limits on the money available for the police and prosecution to spend in order to secure a conviction against Mr Rickards."
Mr Rickards paid his own legal fees and did not require legal aid.
Operation Austin began in early 2004 when Mrs Nicholas went public with her allegations against Mr Rickards and former Bay of Plenty policemen Brad Shipton, Bob Schollum and John Dewar.
It spread from there into other related allegations of sexual misconduct in the 1980s, and resulted in seven trials.
Mr Rickards was cleared of all charges, Shipton and Schollum were convicted of the pack-rape of another woman and Dewar was convicted of obstructing the course of justice.
The other major cost to the taxpayer was the $4.8 million Commission of Inquiry into Police Conduct.
But the full cost cannot be known as departments such as the Ministry of Justice could not say what the court time cost.
The Weekend Herald has not included the cost of keeping those convicted of the offences behind bars in calculations.
Police national headquarters declined to comment yesterday.
Taxpayer's bill:
* Operation Austin - $12,305,359
* Crown prosecutor - $1,240,354
* Legal aid for defendants - $401,319 (Rickards did not have legal aid, but Brad Shipton and Bob Schollum did)
* Commission of inquiry - $4,818,827
* Rickards' payout - $300,000
* Pay while stood down - $575,000
TOTAL - $19,640,859
