Police to analyse Brash email case

A senior police investigator is to look into the Don Brash email case after continued concerns about how it was handled.

Police Commissioner Howard Broad said a full review of the case involving the former National Party leader's emails would be done.

Mr Broad said continued questioning of the police role could undermine public trust and confidence in the force.

"I have, therefore, tasked one of the country's most senior investigators, Assistant Commissioner (Auckland), Steve Shortland, to undertake a full review of the file and to assure me that all practical avenues of investigation around the case were exhausted," Mr Broad said.

"If a contrary view is arrived at, I would expect the assistant commissioner to advise what further investigative work might be undertaken to bring the matter to resolution."

Dr Brash this morning called for a commission of inquiry into the investigation of the theft of his emails.

He wrote to Prime Minister John Key and Police Minister Judith Collins asking the commission to look into the integrity of the police investigation and police behaviour since publicly announcing the investigation was closed.

Hundreds of his private emails found their way into the book The Hollow Men: A Study in the Politics of Deception, written by Nicky Hager, which contained information from emails supposedly leaked by National party members.

A long police investigation concluded it was unlikely that anyone would be identified and charged "unless someone makes an admission during the interview process".

Labour leader Phil Goff said it would be helpful if the full police file was released.

"One of the quickest ways John Key can do this is to ask the police to release the unedited file of its investigation."

Dr Brash said there were important issues relating to every New Zealander's privacy and the integrity of the political system that deserved resolution.

"The heavily-censored information that was released to me and some media last week has added significant weight to my concern, held since I was briefed by police in mid 2007, that the investigation into this matter lacked any sense of urgency or diligence."

He said police conduct since closing the investigation - or declaring it "inactive" - was of concern and their behaviour was highly unusual.

Despite promises in April 2008 that he would receive the final report on the investigation, he received it only a year later.

Any suggestion of political bias had to be addressed seriously, Dr Brash said.

Mr Broad said an independent third party would assist Mr Shortland and "provide further objective oversight of the process".

The independent adviser, likely to be a Queen's Counsel, will be appointed after consultation with Dr Brash.

Mr Broad said he believed that the action to be taken would enable a thorough and timely assessment of police handling of the case rather than any form of commission of inquiry.

"There are considerable difficulties running commissions of inquiry in parallel with open criminal cases," he said.

- NZPA