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A leading witness in the prosecution case against Mangere MP Taito Phillip Field is fighting to remain in New Zealand, despite police originally booking him on a flight out of the country today.
Thai tiler Sunan Siriwan arrived in New Zealand on a special purposes visa to give evidence at a deposition hearing into allegations of corruption charges against Field.
His evidence was heard at the Manukau District Court hearing this week.
It is the first time Mr Siriwan has been in New Zealand since he left for Samoa in March 2005.
He went to Samoa allegedly to work on a Field-owned property in exchange for immigration assistance from the then-Labour minister.
He was joined by his wife Aumporn Phanngarm and their New Zealand-born son Henry, 5, while in Samoa, where he spent more than 18 months, before being deported to Thailand.
But his lawyer, Olinda Woodroffe, believes the family should never have been forbidden to return to New Zealand, as they had valid, two-year work permits authorised by then-Immigration Minister Damian O'Connor.
Instead, she says, the family has been treated like "a political football".
Ms Woodroffe has managed to have the family's flights put back to May 27, and is trying to have their permits re-approved by Associate Immigration Minister Shane Jones.
Meanwhile, the family is staying at a Manurewa motel. Mr Siriwan's visa expires on May 31.
Ms Woodroffe said she applied in April last year to have Mr Siriwan's work permit matter dealt with, only to find out in March this year that the case file had been lost.
She made another application, which has yet to be approved by Mr Jones.
The Siriwan family has been working in a poor village in the north of Thailand, near the Myanmar border, since leaving Samoa. Mr Siriwan - a tiler of 28 years experience - has had little chance to ply his trade, and Ms Phanngarm has been working in a market. She gave up her job to return to New Zealand for the hearing, Ms Woodroffe says.
Through a translator, Mr Siriwan told the Weekend Herald he believed his return to give evidence could be "an opportunity to have a life again" in New Zealand.
It would also be a chance for Henry - who has just finished his first term at school in Thailand - to be schooled in this country.
Immigration private secretary Nashawa Bakr said she could not give a timeframe for approval of the Siriwan family's applications, but said they would receive priority treatment.
"I have done everything I can and it is up to the minister ... he does know it is on the radar."
FIELD SEEKS TRIAL BEFORE ELECTION
Mangere MP Taito Phillip Field will likely apply to the High Court to have his trial on bribery and corruption charges heard before this year's general election.
The former Labour MP - now sitting as an independent - was yesterday committed to trial on 40 bribery, corruption and obstruction charges.
It is alleged Field allowed several Thai nationals, whom he was helping with immigration issues, to work on his properties for little pay - save the cost of materials - between November 2002 and October 2005.
His lawyer, Paul Davison, QC, confirmed the MP was considering an application to the High Court, seeking a "priority fixture".
But his chances could be slim, as some have estimated his trial could run up to eight weeks. Depositions alone lasted 19 days, and ran to almost 1000 pages of evidence.
At least 50 witnesses - many of them Thai speakers with little or no English ability - are likely to give evidence at the trial.
About 15,000 documents have already been released to the Field defence team by prosecutors, with more likely.
Prosecutor David Johnstone yesterday told theWeekend Herald the Crown would be able to proceed with a prosecution before year's end, but courtroom availability would be problematic.
The trial would have to be completed by November 15, the latest possible date for a general election.
Manukau District Court Judge Charles Blackie yesterday remanded Field on bail to a High Court call over on July 30.
Outside the court, Field said it was clear from the beginning of the process that a trial was inevitable.
"It was an important process to tease out evidence and we knew that this court doesn't determine the quality of that evidence and inevitably we would need to look at testing that evidence in the trial."
Field said he wanted a trial as soon as possible.
- NZPA
