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A Thai immigrant says Mangere MP Taito Phillip Field told her to get married, then put her up in a rent-free home in the weeks after immigration authorities ordered her removal from New Zealand.
Phisamai Phothisarn yesterday told a Manukau District Court depositions hearing she went to see Field "around a week or two weeks" after the Immigration Service had raided her Mangere home following the birth of her son in September 2002.
She had been served with a removal order, but had not been taken into custody as she had an infant son to look after.
Field, a former Labour MP now holding the Mangere seat as an independent, is fighting 40 charges, including 15 allegations of bribery and corruption and 25 of perverting the course of justice.
The charges relate to his hiring of labourers to work on properties in Auckland, Wellington and Samoa.
Prosecutors allege he allowed several Thai nationals - whom he was helping with immigration issues - to work on his properties for little except the cost of materials.
The offending is alleged to have taken place between November 2002 and October 2005.
Ms Phothisarn has been in New Zealand since 1996, when she arrived on a three-month visitor's permit. She had been an overstayer for about six years at the time of the raid.
Speaking through an interpreter, she told prosecutor David Johnstone she married Sompong Srikaew - who had New Zealand residency - in 2002, soon after her visit to Field.
"Taito told me that I should go and get married, and then I could come back and see him later on."
She also told the court Field at one point offered her up to two months' rent-free accommodation in an Auckland house.
"I didn't pay anything. Taito said I did not need to pay."
The court heard that Ms Phosthisarn occasionally did repair work, including plastering in the staircase and dining areas of the property.
"If we saw something wrong, or some cracks on the wall, we would fix it."
She could not say how long she spent plastering, but she had also done some painting.
Field visited the house three times while she and her husband were staying there.
They did not charge for labour, but Field paid the couple $300 for materials on his final visit, the court heard.
Ms Phosthisarn later received a two-month work permit.
When asked why she had done the plastering, she said: "We were offered to live in this place for free, so we would like to do something good in return for Mr Field."
Heavyweight boxer David Tua was among a number of spectators for the first full day of the hearing yesterday.
He said he wanted to show his support for Field, who had done good work for South Auckland.
"Life is a challenge, and for me today, I don't get into the legal, because I don't know anything about it. I am just here to let him know that life is a fight ... you need to hang in there and keep the faith."
Up to 50 witnesses are expected to give evidence.
The hearing, before Judge Charles Blackie, is set down for four weeks.
