KEY POINTS:
A four-year police inquiry into allegations that Deputy Commissioner Rob Pope swore a misleading affidavit in the Marlborough Sounds murder case is complete and being reviewed by a legal expert.
But Chris Watson, father of convicted murderer Scott, has claimed Detective Inspector Ross Pinkham's investigation is likely to be "a complete whitewash".
In 2004, Watson laid a complaint with Blenheim police alleging Pope gave misleading information to get warrants in 1998 to bug his son's yacht, home and telephones. Despite the allegations, Pope, who headed the inquiry into the deaths of Ben Smart and Olivia Hope, was later promoted.
For four years police did not investigate the complaint, until Act party leader Rodney Hide and the Herald on Sunday questioned Police Minister Annette King in March.
Last week, Assistant Police Commissioner Gavin Jones told Watson in a letter that Pinkham finished the inquiry in April and handed it to Jones. He has sent the report to an independent barrister for external review.
All documents would be referred to the Independent Police Conduct Authority, said Jones. "I appreciate that this process has taken an extraordinary long time to finalise."
The authority won't release its findings until it receives a copy of Pinkham's report.
Watson doubted his complaint would be upheld. "You don't expect it to take four years to investigate. This was always going to be a complete whitewash."
In March, State Services Commissioner Mark Prebble said he had known of the inquiries but recommended Pope for promotion anyway.
