Refugee had explosives says Peters

By HELEN TUNNAH, deputy political editor

An Algerian who wants to stay in New Zealand as a refugee had been found with explosive material, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters said in Parliament yesterday.

He said Salah Eddine Bouta, 22, was a suspected terrorist, and had been granted legal aid to help with his refugee status claim.

Prime Minister Helen Clark told Parliament the Immigration Service had already said it had no advice that there was "a suspected terrorist among us".

"I might say that if there were a case where traces of explosive material were picked up at the border, I would regard that as a great success."

Another Algerian man, Ahmed Zaoui, remains in Auckland Central Remand Prison almost a year after he was detained at Auckland Airport on suspicion of having links to a terrorist group.

He has since been declared a genuine refugee, but is being kept in jail while a security risk certificate about him prepared by the Security Intelligence Service is assessed.

Mr Peters, who asked questions in Parliament about Mr Salah last week, yesterday made more claims about the man's circumstances.

"How can the Prime Minister tolerate a Minister [of Immigration] and a department that allows another Algerian, this time found with explosive material, into this country, deny his existence, and then grant him legal aid for court action while claiming to be a refugee.

"What on Earth is he doing here?"

Helen Clark said if any man had been found with explosive material it would be a police matter.

The police yesterday would not tell the Herald if they had been made aware of any case involving a refugee claimant and explosives.

A spokeswoman said it was an immigration matter, and refused to say if that meant the police did or did not know anything.

Mr Peters was warned in Parliament by Helen Clark yesterday that he should seek legal advice before putting names in the public arena in defiance of court orders.

However, Mr Peters, who like all MPs is protected from legal action when speaking in Parliament, told her he was free to speak.

"More important, looking at the carnage abroad, to have a Prime Minister fobbing off evidence in this House when every New Zealander is being asked to be part and parcel of our security arrangements is downright irresponsible."

He asked Helen Clark when she was going to take the country's security seriously.

She said she would answer his questions only in the abstract, because she would not drag people's names through Parliament and the public arena.

Speaker Jonathan Hunt said Parliament did enjoy freedom of speech, but if a court order was in force it should not be lightly circumvented "except in the most extraordinary circumstances".

An Immigration Service spokeswoman said last week it could confirm no one who any agency might consider to be a suspected terrorist was being held in custody.

The service could not be contacted last night.

Green MP Keith Locke asked Helen Clark when she would respond to the public outcry about Mr Zaoui, and ask Immigration Minister Lianne Dalziel to lift the security risk certificate against him, which she has the power to do.

Mr Zaoui's case is due back in court next month.