Concerns grow over evidence
Police have criticised the Department of Labour’s investigation into the Pike River mine disaster.
In documents released by a group representing some Pike River families, police admit their handling of evidence was ‘‘diabolical’’. They also blame the Department of Labour (DOL), now Worksafe, which was carrying out its own investigation after 29 men died in the West Coast mine in November 2010. It successfully laid charges against the mine company and a contractor but withdrew charges against mine boss Peter Whittall.
Notes from a police debrief on April 26, 2012, reveal the handling of evidence was chaotic. An exhibits officer was not appointed until several weeks after the explosion. The cover of an electrical cabinet was blown to the surface in one of the explosions.
Tony Forster, a former mines chief inspector now advising the Pike River families, told TVNZ he understood it was flown by helicopter to the Pike River office.
Its current whereabouts are unknown.
The notes suggest the Department of Labour did not pass all relevant information on to police.
‘‘The difficulty was DOL seizing exhibits and [police] not knowing what they had.
‘‘DOL handled some key exhibits [taking to Australia, sending things away] without recording chain of custody, so if tested in court could be difficult.’’
They say the Department of Labour and police were not working together. The notes say the Department of Labour was conflicted in investigating its own staff’s failings in inspecting and ensuring the mine was safe prior to the explosion. The Department of Labour hand-picked which contractors to interview. It missed 40 per cent of contractors, and interviewed between 10 and 20 per cent of those interviewed by police.
Police have never laid criminal charges despite saying in 2013 there was enough evidence to lay criminal nuisance charges. They said at the time they would not proceed because of pending Department of Labour charges.
Police have since said new charges could be laid if evidence is found in the upcoming re-entry of the mine’s drift.
A royal commission on the disaster made 16 recommendations covering administrative reform, stronger regulation, changes to mining legislation and emergency management. Some Pike families believe the commission did not hear all the evidence and a new inquiry is needed.