Police to investigate spy firm

State Services Commissioner Peter Hughes has laid a complaint with police about unlawful recordings of earthquake victims by spy firm Thompson & Clark.

It comes as an explosive report details a slew of damning revelations about how the controversial spy firm was used by government agencies.

Those include reporting and monitoring the Green and Mana parties, iwi and activists, and accessing the motor vehicle register.

Hughes, who is head of the state services, has apologised ‘‘unreservedly to those individuals whose privacy has been intruded on by state servants or their contractors’’.

‘‘I take responsibility for what has happened here. And I will fix it.’’ Among the findings are: – That a Thompson & Clark employee recorded several closed meetings of Southern Response insurance claimants in Christchurch between 2014-2016. The contractor was not a licensed private investigator, which is potentially unlawful. The activity is the subject of Hughes’ complaint to police.

– Two Ministry of Primary Industries staff were also working for Thompson & Clark, and accessed New Zealand Transport Agency information on behalf of the security firm. The Serious Fraud Office is now investigating.

– MPI hired the firm to monitor animal rights activists, and spy on them at conferences in 2005 and 2006.

– Crown Law hired investigators from another firm to dig up information to cross examine witnesses in a court case alleging abuse in state care – known as the ‘‘White case’’. The investigators may have used ‘‘low level surveillance’’.

– Inappropriate email contact between a Security Intelligence Service staff and one of the firm’s directors, which risked harming the reputation of the Government spy agency.

– Unprofessional interactions between the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and Thompson & Clark investigators, working for the oil and gas industry, that ‘‘created at least a perception of conflict of interest’’.

– Thompson & Clark reported to government agencies on the activities of the Green and Mana parties, Taranaki and Northland iwi groups and Greenpeace, described as ‘‘an affront to democracy’’.

Overall, the inquiry has found a lack of professional distance between Thompson & Clark and public servants, and a lack of oversight or written contracts with the spy firm. There was ‘‘system wide failings’’ across the public service, with staff developing ‘‘inappropriately close relationships’’ with the firm’s staff. It was also critical of Thompson & Clark’s behaviour – including using an unlicensed investigator and covertly attending public meetings, recording meetings without consent.

The firm also approached public servants – who had access to sensitive official information – for secondary employment, accessed the motor vehicle register for ‘‘potentially improper purposes’’.

Hughes has also lodged a formal complaint with the Private Security Personnel Licensing Authority and asked MBIE to remove Thompson & Clark from the Government procurement panel – a scheme that preapproves companies for Government work.

Hughes said the inquiry stretched over a decade of Thompson & Clark activity on behalf of public agencies.