Regarding the presence of explosives at Christchurch Prison, 1997

10 October 2003

Public Prisons Service management strongly denies allegations raised recently in Parliament and via the media regarding the presence of explosives at Christchurch Prison in 1997.

“Let’s get some things straight here,” says Phil McCarthy, General Manager Public Prisons Service.

“It is true that a small amount of explosives were found at the prison in 1997, about a month before the hostage-taking incident that later occurred. The Police were immediately contacted, and their advice was followed, to the letter, with regard to management of the issue and its attendant risks. That did include some measures to ensure the safety of staff and inmates and the security of intelligence.

“Later in the year, following the hostage incident that occurred at the prison in October 1997, the Police searched the incident scene and advised Corrections that no explosives had been present, but that toilet roll tubes and other materials had been assembled in order to look like tubes of dynamite. I reiterate: it was the New Zealand Police who determined there were no explosives.

“Allegations that Christchurch Prison management :

• did not immediately act on information about the presence of explosives at the prison, and/or
• did not immediately seek advice from, the police or did not immediately advise Police when the explosives were secured, and/or
• made the determination that explosives were not in fact present during the hostage incident, and/or
• were in any way influenced in their decisions on ERU disciplinary action by this, or any other ‘specific information’ held by ‘the ERU bosses’

are vehemently denied by Canterbury Public Prisons Service managers.”

The allegations appear to be without foundation and contrary to the known facts, says Mr McCarthy.

“In the six years that have passed since these incidents occurred I have not previously heard these allegations. However, I urge anyone with evidence to the contrary to come forward.

“I repeat the invitation for anyone wishing to make such allegations to, under the Protected Disclosures Act 2000, present their allegations and evidence to the Department’s Chief Executive or the General Manager Strategic Services, or to appropriate agencies outside the Department, such as the State Services Commissioner, an Ombudsman or the Controller and Auditor-General.

“Both Mr Monk and Mr Rushton have indicated that they would welcome an investigation into the facts and are confident both in their recollection of events and that Police records would support their accounts of what took place at that time.”