National Party boss alleges covert filming

NATIONAL Party president Peter Goodfellow has complained of being subjected to covert video surveillance.

The complaint, heard before the Private Security Personnel Licensing Authority, alleges private investigator Clinton Bowerman hid a videocamera to film him meeting his estranged wife, Libby Black.

Mr Bowerman told the authority he had been working for Ms Black as both a personal guard and private investigator since March 2009.

A lawyer acting for Mr Goodfellow told the authority the filming occurred during a meeting at an upmarket Orakei address on August 11 last year, and was revealed when the National Party president noticed something amiss.

‘‘He noticed something under a beanie hat. He lifted it up, and under it was a camera which had been on for an hour and seven minutes,’’ the lawyer said.

Under questioning by authority member Roger Gill, Mr Bowerman conceded the filming was covert but insisted he had ‘‘implied consent’’ from Ms Black to undertake the surveillance.

‘‘She never

said that she

didn’t consent to the filming,’’ he said.

Mr Bowerman’s claim contrasted with evidence submitted by Mr Goodfellow’s lawyer that Ms Black, when the camera was discovered, denied knowing anything about the filming.

Mr Bowerman said he was unwilling to call Ms Black as a witness as this would subject her to ‘‘tumultuous’’ cross-examination by a lawyer representing her husband.

Mr Gill requested Mr Bowerman furnish evidence of Ms Black’s consent to the covert recording and the case was adjourned until February 22.

If the authority made an adverse finding its disciplinary powers include being able to cancel private investigator licences and impose fines of up to $2000.

Mr Goodfellow’s lawyer also complained Mr Bowerman did not wear a badge identifying him as a private investigator, and did not have adequate legal notice on his letterhead.

Mr Gill accepted these technical breaches of the law governing private investigators had occurred, but concluded they were minor compared to the allegation of unauthorised convert surveillance.

‘‘They’re not really hanging fences,’’ he said.

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