An eye witness account of the $25,000 donation
July 26th, 2008 at 6:18 pm by David FarrarRadio NZ has talked to Professor Malcolm Wright who worked for Sir Robert in 2005. They report:
Professor Malcolm Wright, who worked for Sir Robert three years ago, says he recalls Mr Peters and a staff member visiting Sir Robert for drinks in 2005, where the issue of a donation was discussed.
“Sir Robert was opposed to making a donation. In the end, though, he agreed that he would. There had been a higher sum asked for, and Sir Robert said: ‘Well, I’ll give you $25,000 for mateship’, which Winston agreed to, and they shook hands on that.”
Professor Wright says he was told some days later by one of Mr Peters’ staff members to make a cheque out to a trust, although he cannot recall its name. He says Sir Robert thought the money was going to New Zealand First.
Now it is worth remembering that Professor Wright was a first hand witness to this. Peters has made it clear he is going to attack Jones’ credibility and recall. But Professor Wright seems very clear on the salient details.
Related posts:
- Clark distancing herself from Peters?
- Another secret donation
- Jones vs Peters
- Winston denies there was any donation at all
July 26th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
The whole thing now is absurd. I just watched Winston Peters and Condoleeza Rice. It was nauseating to see Winston First fawning over her, while beyond that room Winston is behaving like a person with definite mental problems.
Vote:His bouts of anger,rudeness and general ignorance are all indicators of a very insecure man. Let’s retire Winston !
John Key should say “no go” to Winston. Winston is a charlatan, his message of transparency is just drivel and the remaining supporters of NZFirst one could liken them to belief in flying saucers. To these supporters of Winnie First the man could walk on water – my comments on that would not be printable.
July 26th, 2008 at 6:41 pm
I didn’t know amnesia was contagious.
Dosen’t anybody keep proper financials nowadays, where the drawer of cheques are recorded?
Vote:July 26th, 2008 at 6:44 pm
Winnie said in an interview today that he will tell all next week when he is wellington….
Vote:My house on it he does it in the house for reasons we all understand.
July 26th, 2008 at 6:47 pm
Ghostie, I know your speakers aren’t working properly, just hope your screen is working sufficiently to read ‘An eye witness account’ post?
http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2008/07/media_on_peters.html#comment-468243
Vote:July 26th, 2008 at 6:49 pm
What’s the bet he defames Sir Bob in the house?
Vote:July 26th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
“Winnie said in an interview today that he will tell all next week when he is wellington….”
Yes and when in Singapore he said that he could tell all upon his return home (yesterday). Unfortunately Winnie’s definition of telling all is to call somebody else a lair.
Vote:July 26th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
Ghostie, I know your speakers aren’t working properly, just hope your screen is working sufficiently to read ‘An eye witness account’ post?
Patrick – I’m sure the Opaque One has moved on, from this issue, by this time.
I can just see him/her cowering in a dark corner, muttering insane gibberish, until the next time the ‘chip’ in its head signals GO.
I await with baited breath, of course.
Vote:July 26th, 2008 at 7:15 pm
Winston will probably seek leave to make a personal explanation, which Helen Clark will be forced to believe, because Peters is an Honourable Member. I hope Peters does continue with the attack on Sir Bob Jones as that will be a fight he vcannot and will not win. Jones will spend whatever it takes to destroy Peters. He has already promised the PM he will defy the EFA, and given Peters’s support of that, taking Peters out will be great sport for the Knight!
Vote:July 26th, 2008 at 7:19 pm
And Inventory, when Sir Bob has a wall full of money and Winnie has to pan handle, I suspect Winne will be very much worse off. In saying that, I can’t see Winnie taking him on legally as even he would know he’ll come off worse off.
Vote:July 26th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
Sounds like we may not have to wait for this week. Sunday Times is pushing tomorrows issue as containing more underhand donations to NZF and associated trusts.
Vote:July 26th, 2008 at 7:53 pm
He has not answered any questions so far and the paper trail is pretty clear. I assume he will continue his line that Jones is mistaken or whatever and he is right and will stare you down daring you to disbelieve him He learned this from Muldoon.
Vote:July 26th, 2008 at 7:54 pm
Let’s hope it’s better work than that turned in recently by the NH/RL tag team.
Vote:July 26th, 2008 at 7:55 pm
I blogged earlier today how the donation could be structured so it could be given by the Spencer trust to NZF in 3 or more anonymous donations of no more than $10,000 and not be disclosed. NZF/Winston have done nothing wrong on this score legally.
Winston can presumably also justify his comment that he did not ask for the donation. It was apparently Roger Mc Lay who asked for the cheque to be made payable to the Spencer trust, not WP. Mc Lay also apparently collected it.
Vote:July 26th, 2008 at 8:01 pm
That’s as maybe John B, but as John Armstrong pointed out in this morning’s herald, it may be that Peters’s moral failures are worse than his legal ones. He has held himself out as a paragon of virtue, deriding those who seek out the hated “big money”. Now it transpires that he is no better than any other trough-supper, and that he has used “creative accounting” to create the image of the honest guy taking on all the baddies. He has been caught out by the standards he expected everyone else to maintain.
Vote:July 26th, 2008 at 8:12 pm
Being ‘legal’, dose not necessarily always comply with the majority and wishes of society. The law is often an ass, including those that make it, defend it and administer it.
Vote:July 26th, 2008 at 8:16 pm
And Jones SIGNED THE CHEQUE to the Spèncer Trust!!!!
Didnt he think to say ‘ I was giving to NZ First’ whats this’?
maybe he was having a few drinks that day he signed the cheque as well
Vote:July 26th, 2008 at 8:20 pm
GWW….Apparently, he had pre-signed a ‘blank’ cheque with the subsequent details, filled out by Wright.
Vote:July 26th, 2008 at 8:38 pm
And Wright didnt tell his boss the details !!
he is a liar if he didnt pass it on.
But then I cant imagine Jones signing blank cheques either, on TV he said he signed the cheques personally and since there was no urgency about it it they would have followed normal procedures and have the cheques all filled out
Vote:July 26th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
Of course Jones ‘signed’ the cheques personally. Duh! (nothing to do with Wright being a liar)
If Wright was remiss in checking with Jones who the cheque was to be in favour of, then thats probably an issue around company policy. I always leave pre-signed cheques in my absence, from my business. I do it because I trust my staff, of course.
Vote:July 26th, 2008 at 8:51 pm
Is there actually motivation beyond trolling for your participation here ghostie?
Your normal attempts to break your nose with your mouth are limited to defending the indefensible antics of Labour. Surely defending Winnie is nauseating for you?
Eating dead rats is an accusation we often see from people who follow the religion of envy as you do. But you are now eating a dead poodle. I am sure I am not alone in hoping it is the arse of the poodle you are being forced to chew.
The anticipation for tomorrows instalment is so high it is almost like waiting for xmas.
Vote:July 26th, 2008 at 8:57 pm
Ok Ghost, this now appears to be a program error- and it doesnt look to be your computer this time
Vote:July 26th, 2008 at 9:31 pm
Jones does not care about $25,000, but he does care if Winston has not properly accounted for his money. Specifically he donated the money to NZF but there seems to be no declaration of that. So what was the money used for.
Vote:July 26th, 2008 at 9:55 pm
How can ‘donate the money’ to NZF and yet sign the cheque to Spencer Trust.
The presigned cheque is pretty weak, after all that was something Donna the crook Huata took advantage of.
Vote:July 26th, 2008 at 10:16 pm
GWW – What do Donna “the Crook” Awatere Huata and Winston Raymond “Keeping Them Honest” Peters have in common?
Both busted by Phil Kitchin; possibly the only decent investigative reporter working for a major daily in New Zealand!
Vote:July 26th, 2008 at 10:42 pm
the reports talk about NZ First staff, both in visiting Jones office and in contacting about payment to Spencer Trust. Would such staff be NZ First party staff? Or NZ First parliamentary staff? If parliamentary staff, should such be involved as bag men?
Vote:July 26th, 2008 at 10:45 pm
Inventory2:
GWW is spinning so furiously that he/she has run out of lies to peddle.
Here is a collection of GWW’s contributions to this thread:
And then we have this thread:
[*] GWW prefers not to retract the original “no witnesses” claim but we’re asked to believe that a technical fault with GWW’s speakers prevents him/her from listening to the evidence!
*Snigger*
Vote:July 27th, 2008 at 12:21 am
well as far as I’m concerned Peters could now blame the lot on Sione Lauaki (and probably get away with it)
Vote:July 27th, 2008 at 12:31 am
Mr Starr: well if Winnie did want to blame Sione Lauaki I would probably have to at least consider the poodle’s argument – he would have a much stronger case.
Vote:July 27th, 2008 at 12:35 am
i’m looking forward to parliament next week..
peters is going to turn on national in a somewhat feral manner..
it should be required viewing for all lovers of blood-sports..
phil(whoar.co.nz)
Vote:July 27th, 2008 at 12:36 am
what was with the halfback shuffle. We can now sub off and on??
Vote:July 27th, 2008 at 10:37 am
Barnsley, You must admit. The Aussie complaint about it was a bloody good diversion away from the blatant tackling without the ball on Sitiveni, (without a penalty try.)
The Aussie management timed the protest perfectly- “Quick, look over there”
Maybe Deans has learned some of Labours political skills to take with him as well?
Vote:July 27th, 2008 at 11:41 am
Patrick
Vote:Henry is the Clark man not Deans.
“Judge me on my performance!” Or maybe not, we should be proud of the boys…. and other PC crap.