Labour may return Ching to party list

Steven Ching

Labour is considering whether to reinstate Auckland businessman Steven Ching to its party list.

Before deciding, it wants police to check on a woman who made allegations against Mr Ching and to confirm claims that she has been deported to Malaysia.

Mr Ching stood down almost two months ago from his winnable No 42 place after claims in the Herald on Sunday that he had offered to help Auckland broadcaster Paul Liu to become a JP and that Mr Ching had asked Mr Liu to lend him $50,000.

Mr Ching issued a statement signed by Mr Liu saying the two events were not connected.

The newspaper said it also had an affidavit signed by a former female employee of Mr Ching's about the matter.

Labour asked him to stand down while police were asked to investigate - which they have agreed to do - but considered it unlikely that the matter would be resolved before the election, which must be held by September 24.

Party president Mike Williams confirmed yesterday that Labour's ruling body, the New Zealand Council, had two telephone conferences about the matter over the weekend, and discussed claims that Mr Ching's accuser had been deported.

"We understand that to be correct, but that is one of the things we are trying to establish. It's a question of who she is and if she is who we suspect, it becomes a strong question of her credibility."

Mr Williams said the Herald on Sunday had not assisted the party with its investigations, "but we hope the police can. They have the allegations and can identify the accuser."

He would not say that Mr Ching would be reinstated if the reliability of the witness was suspect.

"It is a kind of a day-at-a-time thing at the moment. I couldn't anticipate the resolution, the timing or the result."

Mr Ching, 63, has hired Auckland QC Peter Williams over the matter. Before standing down from the list, Mr Ching quit as a JP after he was found to have two undisclosed convictions.