KEY POINTS:
Police have still not been handed a file missing from the Corrections Department file which names high risk offenders.
The dossier was left near a park bench in Auckland contains 30 pages of personal information on more than 150 of the country's most notorious criminals, ranging from Bailey Junior Kurariki to David Wayne Tamihere.
The Herald has seen the file, which contained Kurariki's address, and notes probation checks that he has "nil incidents to date (very early days)" since his release last month after serving nearly seven years for the manslaughter of pizza delivery man Michael Choy.
The file says Tamihere is progressing well but the Probation Service wants him to undergo "intensive counselling" before his release - which could happen in November - after serving 19 years in prison for the murders of Swedish tourists Urban Hoglin and Heidi Paakkonen in 1989.
The 40-page file is headed "High Risk/High Profile Offenders - Pending New Zealand Parole Board Hearings" and contains names, possible release addresses and some personal information.
It was found on Wednesday lunchtime next to a seat in St Patrick's Square near the Auckland District Court.
The finder was a former Corrections Department worker - an apparent coincidence - who passed on some pages to an intermediary.
Martyn "Bomber" Bradbury, who runs the Tumeke blog site, learned of the file and blogged about it.
Corrections officials and police went to see Mr Bradbury yesterday and he gave an assurance to organise its return, and promised that the contents would be kept confidential.
Blogger Martyn Bradbury says he was contacted by a man who discovered the file on the footpath.
He says he initially thought it was a hoax following on from recent similar incidents in Britain but realised it was legitimate once he read the file.
He was expecting to pick up the document from the man last night, but police say that did not happen.
The file contains information such as the suburban address Peter Francis Atkinson - a feared criminal dubbed "Pete the terrorist" - has been approved to live at on release.
It also notes that well-known methamphetamine cook Brett Lionel Allison is likely to be the subject of "attention" upon release.
There are notes about Paul Joseph Dally, who raped, tortured and murdered Karla Cardno in 1989, and Michael Joseph O'Leary, the former golf professional who committed sex crimes against junior golfers.
An entry about a dangerous sex offender due for "pre-release" to the community describes how he has denied his charge and has no wish to address offending.
Corrections Minister Phil Goff was alarmed by the dossier incident. He said the information could be misused.
Corrections chief executive Barry Matthews said the individual who lost the file did not realise it was missing until after the publicity. He would not give any details about the individual.
The Department is investigating but is not prepared to say whether anyone will lose their job.
New Zealand First Law and Order spokesman Ron Mark says a hallmark of the Department over the past 12 years is no-one gets sacked.
- ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY NZPA, NEWSTALK ZB
