Police drop case against former MP Worth - report

The Korean businesswoman who laid a complaint against former MP and government minister Richard Worth has dropped the matter and the police have decided not to take a case against him, it was reported tonight.

The scandal involving the Korean woman, and another incident involving a woman member of the Labour Party, forced Dr Worth to resign as a minister on June 2 and 10 days later he quit Parliament.

It was confirmed that the Korean woman had laid a complaint of a sexual nature and the police opened an inquiry.

It was reported Dr Worth, who at the time was minister of internal affairs, invited the woman to a function in Wellington, booked a room at a hotel for her, and accompanied her to the hotel.

It was reported that an incident in the hotel that night led to the woman's complaint.

TV3 News reported tonight it had been informed by a source close to the Korean woman that she had dropped her complaint.

"She feels the political fallout around Richard Worth has been sufficient and going through the courts would have been an additional ordeal that would have gained little," TV3 said.

It also reported police had told the woman there was not enough evidence to take a case against Dr Worth, and that was another reason why she was dropping her complaint.

TV3 reported the woman sent an email to Prime Minister John Key giving her account of what happened at the hotel.

"It talks about how they were drinking wine, she was tired and went to bed, and was woken by a naked Richard Worth," TV3 said.

"It goes on to detail what happened after that."

The police would not confirm to NZPA that the woman had dropped her complaint, or that the investigation had been closed.

Dr Worth's cellphone had a recorded message on it saying the number was no longer being used.

The Korean woman was never identified by the media.

The other incident, which was not connected, involved a woman member of the Labour Party.

She told Labour leader Phil Goff that Dr Worth harassed her with dozens of text messages and phone calls, some of them vulgar, and offered her a job in his capacity as a minister.

Throughout it all, Dr Worth insisted he had broken no law.

He said he had no choice but to resign from Parliament because of the "avalanche of rumour and innuendo" surrounding him.

Dr Worth resigned as a minister after Mr Key told him he had lost confidence in him.

Mr Key has never disclosed details of exactly why he lost confidence in Dr Worth, despite close questioning in Parliament, and has only said the former MP's behaviour did not meet the standards he required from his ministers.

Before the events involving the women, Dr Worth was in trouble over conflict of interest.

He made a private visit to India, where he promoted a company in which he had an interest.

He also used his diplomatic passport for a private trip, which was against the rules.

- NZPA