Yesterday I did my nut about the police apparently ignoring the OIA in the case of a senior officer suspended after allegations of drunk driving. I find it simply unbelievable that any public body, even the police, would suspend someone and brief the Minister on it without once writing anything down. But suppose for a moment that they did - that is, that they are telling the truth and there really are no documents. What then?
Well, for a start, they've broken s17 of the Public Records Act, which imposes a duty on every "public office" (which includes the police) to "create and maintain full and accurate records of its affairs, in accordance with normal, prudent business practice" and maintain them in an accessible form. Under s61 (c) this is an offence, with a penalty of a $5,000 fine.
So, if the police aren't lying, then they must prosecute themselves. But somehow, given their well-established habit of covering for their own, I don't think that's likely.
