Prison guard faces corruption charge

A former Rimutaka Prison guard who allegedly supplied inmates with cannabis has had the rare charge of corruption added to those he already faces.

The 41-year-old Upper Hutt man appeared in Upper Hutt District Court yesterday to face four charges of accepting bribes from inmates in return for supplying them with cannabis. He has since resigned from his job, the Dominion Post reported.

The fresh charges allege he accepted a laptop, a GPS navigation system, and two $500 payments between November 4, 2008, and January 31, 2009.

He did not enter a plea, and was granted bail and continued interim name suppression until a pre-committal hearing.

The latest court action follows the arrest last year of Rimutaka Prison manager Jeffrey Reid, 43, who is charged with drug-dealing.

His case is still before the courts. He is not facing corruption charges.

Corrections Department chief executive Barry Matthews said the latest charges were the result of a long-running investigation by Corrections and police.

He confirmed it was the first time a charge of corruption had been laid against a prison officer.

- NZPA