KEY POINTS:
National MP Simon Power wants a law change to avoid a repeat of the "bail for medals" case, warning that it could result in inmates arranging thefts to use as a ransom in court.
In Parliament yesterday, Mr Power grilled Justice Minister Annette King about the court's decision to grant bail to Daniel Crichton - who is facing drug charges - after he helped in the return of the stolen war medals.
Mr Power asked about media reports that Mt Eden inmates were jostling to use information on who stole the medals as bargaining chips.
"Does the fact that so many criminals had such an epiphany of civic duty mean that the practice of trading information for leniency from the justice system will become more commonplace?"
Ms King said she had no information about the grounds on which Crichton was given bail "and nor would I expect to have information about that. It was a decision made by the judge."
However, she said defence lawyers speaking on radio had said it was not uncommon for criminals to provide information, "and for lawyers to deal with the system in that respect. I do not think we are seeing anything new in this respect."
Mr Power then sought to table a private member's bill that would repeal new bail laws allowing more less-serious offenders to be granted bail in a bid to reduce pressure on prisons.
It includes a provision that no bail decision should be influenced by help a defendant has given on a criminal investigation.
Later, Mr Power said Crichton had previously been denied bail, and nothing had changed to allow him to qualify other than the help he gave over the medals.
A hooded man claiming to be one of the medal thieves said through an actor's voice on TV3 last night that he would never have stolen them if he had known how much public anger the theft would provoke.
"We knew there would be a certain reaction, but we didn't expect the reaction to be so huge," he said on Campbell Live.
He would not disclose his intentions in stealing the 96 medals from the Waiouru Army Museum on December 2, but said he was glad they had been returned and were off his hands.
"I just want to say sorry to everyone in New Zealand. I think we all regret what happened and I'm just happy we got them back in pristine condition, so everyone's happy."
Presenter John Campbell told viewers the man received no payment from TV3, and the only condition he set for his television appearance was that nothing should be broadcast that would lead to his identification.
But he would not discuss a $300,000 reward for information leading to the medals' return, or his likely share of it.
Campbell said he understood the man had been offered considerably more than his share of the reward to sell the medals.
But he claimed to have chosen not to do so after realising the historical value of what he had stolen.
The man said: "We decided we would return them, but on our terms, without being detected or caught or anything like that."
