The NZ police have "disclosed the existence" of the online posting of the Key-Banks chat. Arrest them now.
It’s been impossible this afternoon to avoid the news that a copy of the notorious teapot tapes (remember?) have spilled into the interwebisphere.
They reveal little that is new – or, rather, little that goes beyond the contents that were heavily hinted at by reporters and the resurgent Winston Peters back in November.
I’m not linking to the online recording here (which no doubt will stymie you utterly), in obeisance of police advice. From their media release, published on the public NZ Police website:
Police reiterate that it is an offence to disclose private communications unlawfully intercepted. This offence, is punishable by up to two years imprisonment where any person discloses the private communication, or the substance, meaning, or purport of the communication or any part of it, or discloses the existence of the private communication if he knows that it has come to his knowledge as a direct or indirect result of an offence against s216B Crimes Act.
To be a dickish, snivelling pedant for a moment: “discloses the existence of the private communication”? Does that not suggest any of us that says the tapes are Out There, even if we don’t directly link to the recording, risks committing an offence?
By any of us, I mean the police. From the same media release:
Mr Hooper said that police were aware of internet postings today of a recording of the conversation.
The police should raid the police. Immediately.
Or, they could wind up their investigation, apologise for the histrionic over-reaction, which saw them issue search warrants against TVNZ, TV3 and – most troublingly – RNZ, in the middle of an election campaign, and get on with what the prime minister likes to call “the issues that really matter”.
Key really blundered in this farce.
(Report Abuse) (Report Abuse)He has managed to make himself look sneaky and arrogant in one hit.
Not a good look!
liberte
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I refer you to s 216C(2)(b)(i) of the Crimes Act:
Subsection (1) [which creates the offence of disclosing the tape or its existence if made illegally and with knowledge - GE] does not apply where the disclosure is made—
(Report Abuse) (Report Abuse)(a) to a party to the communication or with the express or implied consent of such a party; or
(b) in the course, or for the purpose, of—
(i) an investigation by the Police into an alleged offence against this section or section 216B
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Thanks, Graeme. Cancel that raid for the time being, then.
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