Misleading briefings to Govt — witness

WELLINGTON: The former New Zealand Defence Force chief has admitted providing inaccurate information to the Beehive about allegations of civilian deaths during an SASled raid in Afghanistan.

Sir Jerry Mateparae was appearing at the Operation Burnham inquiry, which is investigating claims made in a book by Nicky Hager and Jon Stephenson that six civilians were killed and 15 wounded during a New Zealandled raid in 2010.

Hit & Run alleges the military covered up what happened.

It was noted at the inquiry yesterday an early briefing to then defence minister Wayne Mapp was at odds with other official statements.

His briefing ruled out civilian deaths, but other statements suggested there may have been some.

Sir Jerry admitted relevant material was not provided.

‘‘Clearly they are wrong and clearly they are inconsistent now with hindsight, yes,’’ he said.

Sir Jerry, a former governorgeneral, said the military would have looked into the matter of civilian deaths if there were serious accusations against New Zealand troops.

‘‘The inclination was that if there was a serious and genuinely categoric accusation allegation of NZDF involvement in committing a crime — then we would have sent an investigation team from New Zealand.’’

Immediately after the release of

Hit & Run in 2017, which detailed a raid led by the SAS in retaliation for the death of a New Zealand soldier, the Defence Force rushed to release a public response.

It incorrectly ruled out civilian deaths and did not link a report from years earlier that had suggested civilian deaths were a ‘‘possibility’’.

The ISAF Incident Assessment Team report had sat in a Defence Force safe and was found after a Maori Television documentary in 2014 by Jon Stephenson.

Former Defence HQ chief of staff, retired Commodore Ross Smith, says it was an oversight not to mention that report after

Hit & Run.

Paul Radich QC, who is acting for the military, said there was no coverup, although ‘‘with the benefit of hindsight there were certainly things that might have been done differently.’’

The inquiry will hear from 12 Defence Force witnesses including other former chiefs of defence, Rhys Jones and Tim Keating, along with current chief Air Marshal Kevin Short.

Most of the Operation Burnham inquiry is being held behind closed doors.

It is being led by Sir Terence Arnold and Sir Geoffrey Palmer and they will report back to the Attorneygeneral by the end of December. — RNZ