Crown finds recording of missing hour from Zaoui video

11.00am


Lawyers for Algerian asylum seeker Ahmed Zaoui have been told a separate audio recording exists of an hour of sound missing from a videotape of an SIS interview.

Mr Zaoui was secretly videotaped by the Security Intelligence Service and police while he was questioned for seven hours after his arrival in New Zealand almost a year ago.

When lawyers Deborah Manning and Richard McLeod originally requested access to the footage, they were told by the Crown Law Office that an hour of sound had gone missing.

However, in a letter to Ms Manning, Crown counsel Andrew Butler said it was discovered yesterday that a separate audio recording of the interview was made.

"Upon ascertaining that fact, the service immediately sought police assistance to compare the video soundtrack and the separate audio recording," the letter said.

"A comparison between the two recordings showed that the audio recording covers the gap identified in the video soundtrack, except for one two-minute gap while the separate audiotape was being changed."

Ms Manning said today that she would be requesting access to the separate audiotape.

She said she and Mr McLeod had not received a reply to their earlier request for access to the videotape.

"We are still working through that issue with the Crown," she said.

"We certainly believe that Mr Zaoui and his legal counsel should have full access to all recordings of those interviews as he provided the information."

Ms Manning said "surprised" would be a fair description of how she felt when she was told of the separate audiotape.

Mr Zaoui arrived in New Zealand on a false passport.

In March, the SIS certified that his continued presence in the country constituted a threat to national security.

Five months later, the Refugee Status Appeals Authority granted Mr Zaoui refugee status.

In the High Court at Auckland last week, Mr Zaoui's lawyers challenged the SIS refusal to provide a summary of the case against him. The judge has reserved his decision in the case.

SIS inspector-general Laurie Greig, who is reviewing the certificate issued against Mr Zaoui, said yesterday that he had not seen the videotape of the interview, but declined further comment.

- NZPA