Barclay said no to police three times
Former National MP Todd Barclay refused to co-operate with police on three distinct occasions during the fresh investigation into his alleged bugging of staff.
With this year’s election campaign underway, Barclay was again refusing to be interviewed by police, refusing to allow access to evidence held by Parliamentary Services and refusing to allow police to search his electorate office.
The refusals all took place after party leader Bill English told the Herald: “Todd Barclay will remain an MP until the election and will continue to carry out his usual duties and represent his community in that time.”
The fresh details of Barclay’s refusal are in documents released through the Official Information Act from the second inquiry into claims of Barclay secretly recording staff.
The second probe came after English admitted he had been told by Barclay that the secret recording existed — a detail police could not prove in their first investigation.
The detail was also not proved in the new investigation, although detectives said there was “circumstantial” evidence that the secret recording existed.
Barclay has now left Parliament, having announced he would not seek re-election after publicly wrong-footing English on the issue.
The OIA papers detail how police pursued a line of inquiry sparked by reports from NewstalkZB political editor Barry Soper.
Soper had reported that Barclay had used CCTV cameras fitted with audio-recording facilities to pick up comments made by electorate secretary Glenys Dickson, a National stalwart in Southland who worked for English for 20 years.
Detective Sergeant Greg Baird reported that detectives sought details of CCTV systems capable of picking up audio recordings, and sought paperwork relating to the refurbishment of the electorate office after Barclay took over.
The police documents show the MP refused to grant consent to Parliamentary Services which would have opened up new lines of inquiry.
Baird recorded that police again pursued Barclay for an interview and were again knocked back.
And he continued to refuse permission for police to search his electorate office.