Peters slams IPCA’s Barclay ruling

"[Police] got search warrants and raided places [after John Key's complaint] and yet with Todd Barclay they never did any of that." IPCA complainant Graeme Axford

NZ First leader Winston Peters is asking just how ‘‘independent’’ the police watchdog is after it cleared police of any neglect of duty in their handling of an investigation into a secret recording by National MP Todd Barclay.

Last month, the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) received a complaint from someone not personally involved in the case about the police handling of an investigation into the National Party backbencher.

Barclay withdrew from contesting his Clutha-Southland seat at September’s general election in a cloud of controversy amid allegations he made secret recordings of electorate staffer Glenys Dickson.

The police watchdog has decided not to pursue the complaint after being satisfied there was no misconduct or neglect by police, Radio New Zealand reported.

But Peters said the seriousness of the allegations required ‘‘far more explanation that this’’.

Calls and emails from The Dominion Post to the IPCA to get confirmation and an explanation as to why the police were cleared have gone unanswered.

‘‘In my view, the police haven’t satisfactorily answered why they didn’t pursue the case.

‘‘They had complaints of a recording, they had a complainant and, to the best of my knowledge, we have not been told who they talked to or didn’t talk to,’’ Peters said.

‘‘But to say they’re satisfied there was no misconduct is an extraordinary statement to make.’’

In June, IPCA case resolution manager Sarah Goodall said the complaint came after renewed media interest in the case and a decision by the police to reopen their case into Barclay.

Barclay refused to co-operate with the original police investigation more than a year ago. That led to police closing the case, saying they didn’t have enough evidence to continue pursuing it.

Peters said the fact police had reopened the case ‘‘begs the question’’ why they ever closed it.

The IPCA complaint was made by Greymouth social worker Graeme Axford in late June.

He said he was aggrieved at the disparity between the police response in the Barclay case and when former prime minister John Key laid a complaint that freelance journalist Bradley Ambrose deliberately recorded a conversation between himself and former ACT leader John Banks in 2011.

‘‘They got search warrants and raided places and yet with Todd Barclay they never did any of that. I see it as favouritism. MPs are being treated differently to the average person.’’

The IPCA response to Axford yesterday said police had ‘‘provided the authority with information on this decision’’, but did not explain what it was or how it justified no further action.

‘‘The authority is ... satisfied there was no misconduct or neglect of duty on the part of police.’’