Ex-PM accepted free flights from banker

Former Prime Minister Jim Bolger is on a list of famous high-flyers given free trips on an American bank's private jet, which should have been used only for corporate travel.

Mr Bolger was featured on the front page of yesterday's Washington Post in the company of former United States Presidents and news personalities who had accepted flights from the controversial former head of Riggs Bank, Joe Allbritton.

The Post said many of the flights offered by the banker were private trips for his friends despite bank policy that only employees and directors use the plane for personal reasons.

The flights are under investigation by the Department of Justice.

Last month, Riggs admitted the offence of failing to prevent money-laundering by former Chile dictator General Augusto Pinochet and was fined US$25 million ($34.7 million).

Mr Bolger took a return flight to San Diego in the Gulfstream V jet for five days in July 1998 with his wife, Joan, shortly after arriving in Washington to become New Zealand's ambassador.

Mr Bolger's friendship with Mr Allbritton was longstanding and pre-dated his diplomatic posting.

Others who accepted flights from Mr Allbritton included former Presidents Jimmy Carter and George Bush snr and broadcasters Barbara Walters and Diane Sawyer.

A Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesman confirmed last night that failure to seek approval from the Secretary of Foreign Affairs was a breach of the code of conduct.

But he implied that the trip would likely have been approved anyway because its offer and acceptance were made in the context of a longstanding friendship.

Mr Bolger told One News last night that he had not realised he had breached the rules and had not been advised by his embassy colleagues to check with "head office."

He also explained why he took the trip: "If somebody invites you, you don't say, 'Look, how much is this costing you to invite me to the dinner?'

"You accept a friend's invitation and there was no question that the Allbrittons were good friends of New Zealand and good friends of the Bolgers."

Riggs has been the New Zealand embassy's bank in Washington.

As a Texas financier, Mr Allbritton bought the bank in 1981 in a hostile takeover, according to the Post.

He and his wife, Barbara, have resigned from the bank's board of directors, though the family still retain shareholder control.

Riggs is scheduled to be sold to PNC Bank of Pittsburgh by the end of May.