Privacy invoked over sacked Antarctica boss
The board of Antarctica New Zealand says it is legally obliged to protect the privacy of sacked chief executive Peter Beggs.
Beggs was fired from his government agency job late last week after an investigation.
He has yet to comment and is believed to have hired a public relations firm.
Antarctica NZ chairman Sir Brian Roche has given no reasons for the dismissal although other sources have mentioned serious misconduct and lapses of judgment.
So far it appears only Roche and a few board members know exactly what a forensic examination of Beggs’ electronic communications, including those on his work laptop, revealed.
Serious misconduct covers a wide variety of behaviour but sources say he has not been asked to pay any money back and did not do anything illegal.
They say the improprieties involved Beggs’ use of a rented Antarctica NZ apartment in Christchurch.
Roche told Stuff his board was unable to comment on the reasons for the sacking because under the Privacy Act 1993, Antarctica NZ was prohibited from proactively disclosing the information, ‘‘as disclosure would involve the unwarranted disclosure of the affairs of another individual’’.
‘‘If it is found that Antarctica NZ interfered with an individual’s privacy, it could be liable to pay significant financial awards. We are acting to ensure that does not happen,’’ he said in a written statement.
He said that under the Official Information Act 1982, an agency could withhold information where it was necessary to protect the privacy of natural persons.
Commenting on Beggs’ personal assistant’s travel to London in April for a film premiere, Roche said the travel occurred ‘‘in the context of an Antarctica NZ community engagement programme.
‘‘The employee [Kylie Wood] travelled in her capacity as the event co-ordinator for this programme. The previous involvement in the programme provided the continuity required for the event,’’ he said.
The travel involved an economy class return trip, accommodation ❚ Two months ago the husband of Antarctica New Zealand board member, Sharon Hunter, who was appointed in late 2015, contacted Roche to complain about Beggs.
❚ Roche ordered an investigation into Beggs, and Hunter stood down citing family reasons.
❚ Accountancy firm Deloittes completed an investigation and Beggs was sacked without the chance to resign.
❚ Hunter and husband Tenby Powell were in Los Angeles at the time of the sacking and say they knew nothing of the investigation.
and other expenses totalling $5750.
Roche said he would have expected to have been told about the trip but he was not.
The agency, which received $20 million in public funding last year, oversees the running of Scott Base in Antarctica and scientific research programmes on the ice.
It is currently preparing a business case for an estimated $150m replacement for the ageing Scott Base.
Beggs, who took up the post in 2014, represented New Zealand on a number of international bodies.