Calls for 'corruption' claim councillor to resign

Marlborough district councillors are calling for the resignation of one of its members after a report cleared council staff of corruption.

Councillor Jamie Arbuckle claimed council staff possibly tampered with tender documents and that some people believed the council was corrupt, sparking an independent inquiry by Auckland lawyer Denis Sheard.

His report released on Friday cleared the council of any wrong doing.

But at a special meeting to discuss Mr Sheard's findings, councillors called on Mr Arbuckle to resign and pay the cost of the inquiry estimated at more than $70,000.

However, Mr Arbuckle said he was proud of "standing up for our community" and said the report was not a waste of money.

"It was necessary to clear up this suspicious cloud that has been hanging over Marlborough. If I wasn't here you would have allowed that cloud to keep circulating," he said.

- NZPA