Media Release For Immediate Use
26 January 2001
DECISION TO COMPENSATE THE WILLIS’
CAN’T BE THE END OF THE STORY
The decision of the Government today to compensate Jan and Murray Willis to the tune of $550,000 surely cannot be the
end of the story, says the Rt Hon Winston Peters, Leader of New Zealand First.
The brief and sordid facts are that IRD staff committed both forgery and perjury against the Willis’, which busted their
company, caused the loss of hundreds of jobs and almost broke this couple emotionally.
Paying the Willis’ $550,000, which is surely inadequate in the circumstances, does not exonerate IRD or those National
and Labour Ministers who having had such cases brought to their attention endlessly, simply refuse to impose any
standards of accountability on the IRD and other departments.
To the question, “Are any IRD staff being investigated or prosecuted,” the answer sadly, again, is, “NO.”
The Government’s ministers will pat themselves on the back, posture as having acted responsibly, when in fact they
simply have failed again to do their duty, Mr Peters said.
Ends.
Encl: 1. Original Police complaint by the Rt Hon Winston Peters dated 16 June 1999
2. Police reply to the Select Committee dated 14 November 2000