Wednesday, October 03, 2012

Not so independent after all

And while we're on the topic of the Dotcom farce (the gift that keeps on giving!), it turns out the police's "independent" QC who will be checking their GCSB investigation isn't so independent after all:
Police Commissioner Peter Marshall said a senior police investigator would be appointed to assess Dr Norman's complaint. Former Crown prosecutor Kristy McDonald, QC, would assess and review any recommendations arising from the investigation.

[...]

Ms McDonald herself has close ties to the police, having acted for them in a number of civil cases including the Commission of Inquiry into Police Conduct in 2007. She has also acted as a "patron" of trainee police officers.


Yesterday I was willing to give the police the benefit of the doubt about whether they would mount an independent, transparent investigation. Clearly, I was mistaken. They've blown it, and ensured that their "investigation" will be labelled a whitewash from the outset. This does not add to the police's credibility, it does not restore public trust in the government, and it will not make calls for a proper investigation go away.