Dom Post on Couch Trust
October 27th, 2008 at 9:05 am by David FarrarThe Dom Post reports on the trust which has received the money that was owed to the taxpayers by NZ First:
A trust set up to receive half the misspent $158,000 that NZ First was ordered to repay was not registered till three months after Winston Peters announced he had donated the money to charity, documents reveal. …
Mr Peters’ so-called “blood-brother” and lawyer Bryan Henry, his solicitor Dennis Gates, and Mr Henry’s colleague Brian Coburn have full control over how the money is spent, including the ability to pay themselves all reasonable expenses. …
Ms Couch is not listed as a beneficiary or a patron, and the only mention of her is in the title of the trust. The three trustees have full control over where the money goes.
Meantime more fascinating information emerges on the trustees and settlor. Whale Oil blogs:
Kevin Gillespie is heavily involved in the Trinity Forest tax avoidance case – with links not to the Cook Islands as Winston is so fond of, but the British Virgin Islands. Gillespie held all the directorships for The Trinity Foundation (and related entities) and was a shareholder of The Trinity Foundation
Fact – Winston and his legal advisors are and continue to be involved with an Accountant at the centre of NZ’s largest tax avoidance case where the defendants were found guilty of a $3.7 billion tax avoidance
Now I hasten to add this is tax avoidance, not evasion. So Mr Gillespie personally has not been found to have done anything wrong. But as Winston has spent decades railing against corporates who avoid tax, it is ironic he donates to a trust controlled by his personal lawyers and an accountant in the centre of a $3.7 billion tax avoidance.
There are multiple links to media stories over on Whale’s blog.
Also just to show how small NZ is:
And the individual lawyers involved and named as promoters in the Trinity case?
None other than the same lawyers used by Vela Fisheries in their Court of Appeal case which surprisingly related to – TAX.
A very small world it is.
Related posts:
- The Susan Couch – Crime Victims Charitable Trust
- The Susan Couch Trust
- Herald confirms trust not set up at time of donation
- A deeply cynical act
October 27th, 2008 at 9:36 am
Just another media beat up. Look guys (and guyesses) Winston First is squeeky clean and you have that on no better authority than Helen Clark. Nuff said. Move on.
Vote:October 27th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
Not many comments on this issue- I suspect the public is maxed out on the corrupt alliance of Peters/Klark, resigned to the fact that justice will not be done, and is now aware that the situation can only be rectified by kicking them out of office.
I hope National has the commitment to democracy to prosecute these cynical grasping at power cronyist bastards to the full extent of the law after the election.
Vote:October 27th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
It is hard to get a comment accepted on Peters blog. All I have done is (twice) commend him on his generosity in setting up the Couch Charitable Trust and asked when he will pay the $158,000 NZ First owes parliamentary services. Each time I have been zapped at moderation.
Vote:October 27th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
“Now I hasten to add this is tax avoidance, not evasion. So Mr Gillespie personally has not been found to have done anything wrong.”
No, you’re wrong. There is a difference between legality and ethicality, and it is quite possible to do something which is legal but which is considered by many to be “wrong”. I’d argue that this is one of those cases.
Vote:October 27th, 2008 at 10:51 pm
THIS JUST IN: Peters is still corrupt.
Vote:October 27th, 2008 at 11:06 pm
Ratprat is still a weirdo!
Vote:October 28th, 2008 at 12:55 am
Winston had better not make it back into parliament. This election looks like it has quite a bit of potential to remove deadwood. Winston, Peter and Jim could all be out on their ass.
Vote:October 28th, 2008 at 8:33 am
Could this be the same Winston who thought the other side in the donations enquiry must be dodgy by association because the lawyer they employed had previously represented some allegedly shady characters in the Winebox trial years ago ? What then are we to make of Peters consorting with a known tax avoider ?
Vote:October 28th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
“Winston, Peter and Jim could all be out on their ass”
Not very likely I’m afraid. I don’t know about Jim’s constituency support, but from predictions I would say it’s strong enough to keep him in. Peter Dunne is a hardworking constituent MP and odds-on to retain his seat with the usual big majority. Winston, with no constituency base to support him is likely to go, unless his uncle Ron can keep him in baubles.
Vote:October 28th, 2008 at 7:08 pm
This is turning into quite the joke, or at least it is for us Kiwi’s overseas. All the lies and attempts to block justice from taking its course, and he somehow manages to do it as well.
Vote: