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More allegations of corruption have been levelled against prison guards, including claims they used prisoners to refit their 40 foot (12.19m) yacht and work on their cars in exchange for steaks and roasts.
National's corrections spokesman Simon Power asked in Parliament today whether there were more allegations on top of recent claims that prisoners had been taken home by guards to do household chores.
"Can he (Corrections Minister Damien O'Connor) confirm allegations that inmates working in the garage at Auckland prison serviced the cars of staff," Mr Power asked.
Mr Power said the "deals for meals" included building a complete vehicle from materials supplied by the department in return for steaks and roasts, and work on their own cars, including the Mercedes of a drug dealer.
Mr O'Connor said he was aware of the allegations and they were being investigated.
"At the end of that investigation we will work out whether they are true," Mr O'Connor said.
Mr Power said his office had also been told that an officer charged with investigating corruption in prisons got inmates to build him a mechanical spit-roast.
MPs were also told that other staff members had their boats, including a 40-foot yacht, known throughout the prison as "HMNZS Corrections", refitted in a prison workshop.
Mr O'Connor said he was aware of the former allegation, but not the second.
One National MP interjected that the yacht would be pretty hard to miss.
Mr O'Connor, who has been grimly defending his department for months had to hear other recent allegations repeated, including one Auckland prison staff member taking inmates to his home to help build a workshop, and another staff member taking two inmates to his home to do work around the section.
Asked about the claim that Kevin McNeil, the son of murder victim Lois Dear, had received death threats allegedly made from cellphones inside prison, Mr O'Connor said there was no evidence this had taken place.
Mr O'Connor said the move by the department's chief executive Barry Matthews to set up an investigation directly reporting to him would mean quicker investigation and resolution of the allegations.
"It is difficult for the Department of Corrections, like any large organisation, to be perfect. Any political, private, or public organisation will, from time to time, have individuals who do not abide by the law or by the ethics and standards of that organisation.
"We are determined to make changes to ensure that we minimise any opportunity for that. This unit is one major improvement in that area, and we will pursue through the courts any inappropriate behaviour," Mr O'Connor said.
Mr Matthews said he took seriously claims of corruption, but remained confident that corruption within the prison system was not widespread and urged the public to put the figures into perspective.
"Corruption of any kind is totally unacceptable and I don't want to downplay the fact that corruption has occurred," Mr Matthews said today.
- NZPA
