Defence force faces legal action

11.45 am

The defence force is facing legal action over its treatment of former territorial soldier and Communications Trumps director Alan Emerson.

Mr Emerson resigned from the territorials last December 21 at the height of an investigation into the alleged improper accessing of an MP's file by army head Major General Maurice Dodson.

Earlier that month it was revealed Mr Emerson was in possession of a page containing information about New Zealand First MP Ron Mark which his former public relations firm, Communications Trumps, believed came from the MP's personal army file.

Mr Emerson said he had compiled the file himself.

Mr Emerson told NZPA today he had resigned from the army's territorial force because he had a "general dissatisfaction with the way things were going".

He had been a member for about 20 years from 1968 before rejoining last August.

Mr Emerson said his resignation related to ongoing investigations into the accessing, as well as into leaks.

"Just the kangaroo court nature of it all," he said.

"My general treatment by defence is the subject of legal action.

"They (defence) would have had a lawyer's letter from me yesterday just saying that I'm looking at taking action over a variety of things."

Mr Emerson was involved in three recruitment projects when he resigned and his desire not to have them "muddied by my presence" contributed to his decision to resign.

News of Mr Emerson's resignation follows the suspension of senior army officer Brigadier Ian Marshall for giving a letter from Lieutenant Colonel (now Colonel) Ian Gordon to a colleague.

The colleague was former Deputy Secretary of Defence Robin Johansen, a civilian responsible for defence equipment acquisitions.

Mr Johansen told NZPA he gave the Gordon letter to National Party defence spokesman Max Bradford because he believed it was in the public interest.

"All of the things which occurred occurred when he was the minister," Mr Johansen said.

"A lot of the issues that have troubled us occurred in Max Bradford's time, so he'd been burned by it just as much as I have."

The letter, written to fellow officers, suggested the army should start what Mr Bradford described as a "covert campaign" to influence people so it could gain a bigger share of the defence budget.

Mr Johansen resigned from the defence force in May 2000 and left two months later.

Mr Bradford yesterday called on Defence Minister Mark Burton to also suspend those implicated by the Gordon letter and other material as being involved in the "conspiracy to capture defence policy and money".

"The Government is punishing the messenger, and at that, the wrong messenger," he said.

Mr Burton said wider issues surrounding the alleged campaign were still being considered by Judge Advocate General Peter Trapski, whose report on the matter is expected to be completed at the end of this month.

He warned there would be "further and wider issues" to address as a consequence of that report, including the campaign, the series of leaks and "those who may have been involved in them".

"I don't care what side of particular debates the responsible persons are. There is an obligation to handle matters and material in an appropriate manner."

- NZPA