Charles Wardle
April 10th, 2011 at 2:00 pm by David FarrarMichael Field in Stuff has an interview and profile with Charles Wardle, who claims to have worked for the SIS, spying on Muslims in NZ. He was previously a jihadist himself.
While one can not be certain, I find his claims of working for the SIS to lack credibility. He has not one shred of proof that he did, and can’t name who he dealt with. Some extracts:
Testimony from a man serving a life sentence for his role in the Mumbai terror attacks revealed a Kiwi connection. Michael Field meets the man who once trained to be a terrorist before becoming an SIS spy.
THE WAY Charles Wardle tells it, a warehouse converted into a mosque is where jihad might some day be launched on New Zealand.
Wardle’s quietly told story is almost beyond verification but it has left New Zealand’s 36,000-strong Islamic community severely embarrassed and distressed that the Security Intelligence Service (SIS) is targeting them over claims of a holy war they say does not exist.
The story is beyond verification, so why does the article state as a fact he became an SIS spy? Shouldn’t it say he alleges he was??
Wardle signed secrecy provisions of the Official Information Act and said he had no contract, was paid in cash, starting at $25 per hour and later $450 per week. He was told his pay was tax-free and it would not affect his student allowance.
As far as I know the SIS do nto have an exemption from the Tax Act. And why not keep a copy of what you signed?
Wardle said he would meet his handler each month at a restaurant.
Which restaurant? Do the owners confirm this? They tend to remember regular customers.
The policeman I talked to said there were big egos
So the Police were involved too? What was his name?
Other than a business card and phone numbers, Wardle has no proof he worked for the SIS. But he wrote to Intelligence and Security inspector-general Paul Neazor in 2009 complaining the SIS had not paid “the annual bonus and travel that had been verbally contracted”.
Neazor replied he would discuss the matter with the SIS director “and once I have sorted out what I can properly deal with, will respond further”. So far Neazor hasn’t.
Well this is wrong. Wardle has the response from Neazor on his own blog.
Wardle seems obsessed with the SIS. He has done videos about them, and has posted his “story” on multiple discussion boards. One lengthy one is on Indymedia. One extract is:
My de facto partner, who I claimed falsely to be Christian, a virgin prior to having been with me, and to be my wife, also followed numerous restrictions. We often walked separately when outside and she followed conservative restrictions on what she wore and how she behaved in public. I tried to keep the SIS informed of what was going on.
What sort of person just drops that into a public letter?
I don’t know whether or not Wardle had dealings with the SIS, but there seems to have been no attempts to verify his cliams, which might disprove them.
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April 10th, 2011 at 2:13 pm
An odd story. The SIS are unlikely to offer any information that would verify what the man said.
The business card is a possibility. I knew an SIS chappie who was on the books (and in the ‘stud book’ — the register of Government employees) of a Government department. Whenever there was a call for him the receptionist had been instructed to take a message.
But even so, there should have been efforts at verifying some things, such as how many Chechen Muslims are in this country, and are they as warlike as the story seems to suggest.
In this the country the media still does too much take the stories/claims of just one person, often without seeking corroboration.
Vote:April 10th, 2011 at 2:13 pm
Where’s Johnboy when you need him?
I do believe he used to use Wardle’s name when referring to philu…
Vote:April 10th, 2011 at 2:24 pm
Verify the Story? In a Sunday Newspaper? If the Sunday Newspapers had to verify everything they wrote, they wouldn’t have much to print!
Vote:April 10th, 2011 at 2:32 pm
TripeWryter,
I have a suspicion there is as much veracity in Wardle’s claims of assignments for SIS as Jason Bevington’s claim he was not impersonating a USAR worker.
Vote:April 10th, 2011 at 2:41 pm
Confession time.
I have been pulling an elaborate prank on Mr Wardle.
Some time ago, I approached him in a “suspicious” fashion, whilst wearing an overcoat with dark sunglasses.
As a joke, I said to him I represented a government agency, whose name I could not reveal at this time, but if he was intelligent, would realise the importance of the role I had.
I asked him to be my contact, and to regularly report back to me with any observations he thought was interesting. Sometimes, I would meet him at a restaurant, and because “I didn’t want a paper trail”, Mr Wardle would kindly pay for my lunch.
The conversations I had with him were certainly fascinating, and well worth the time invested. My, how I would laugh after this rube gave me a “secret handshake” after our lunches.
I shall now have to find a new mark.
Vote:April 10th, 2011 at 2:46 pm
I once worked with a guy who claimed to have been an SIS agent. I didn’t believe HIM, either.
The SIS is much more open now than it used to be. Surely they could at least confirm the story. Or not.
Vote:April 10th, 2011 at 2:52 pm
Field has taken a lot to quoting unnamed people lately. See page A7 of today’s SST in the article “Rescued fishing crew left ‘starving’” where he quotes an unnamed police officer who says the crew of the Oyang 70 were locked in the Riccarton Motel and only given noodles and water. No follow-up with the owner of the Riccarton Motel, no follow up with the police officer in charge of interviewing the crew. No follow up with respective embassies. Very dodgy reporting.
Vote:April 10th, 2011 at 3:03 pm
Not related to Stephen Wilce, is he?
Vote:April 10th, 2011 at 3:11 pm
He has been a cage fighter so methinks he’s had a rear naked choke applied once too often….
Vote:April 10th, 2011 at 3:24 pm
George Patton says:
You wouldn’t have fooled me, Mr Patton. I’d have asked you to open your briefcase and show me your spank mag and government issue meat pie.
So this is the standard of accuracy, fact checking and veractity that the SST now follows? And yet they’re shutting down NZPA which, more than any other news organisation in NZ, brings us accurate and unvarnished reporting. We’re being taken for mugs.
Vote:April 10th, 2011 at 4:29 pm
Is Charles Wardle related to Penny Bright?
Vote:April 10th, 2011 at 4:46 pm
The SIS doesn’t sub-contract.
AOB, charles Wardle IS Penny Not Too Bright.
Vote:April 10th, 2011 at 4:47 pm
“Wardle signed secrecy provisions of the Official Information Act ”
What specific provision is this? I can’t see anything in there that applies to the SIS, apart from the povisions refusing requests from the public on the grounds of national security. There isn’t any provision where anyone signs anything to keep things secret – it isn’t that sort of Act.
I think this guy has seen too many episodes of Spooks and is getting the OIA confused with the UK’s Official Secrets Act. Perhaps he thinks he’s Richard Tomlinson.
This also proves how pathetic Mr Field is by not even picking him up on this issue or doing his own research, or the editors of the Sunday Star Times for even asking for any proof at all of his claims.
Vote:April 10th, 2011 at 5:30 pm
The man’s a bullshitter, The man’s a bullshitter, The man’s a bullshitter, The man’s a bullshitter, The man’s a bullshitter, The man’s a bullshitter, The man’s a bullshitter, The man’s a bullshitter, The man’s a bullshitter, The man’s a bullshitter, The man’s a bullshitter, The man’s a bullshitter, enough said.
Vote:April 10th, 2011 at 6:40 pm
Maggie, the reason I knew a guy worked for the SIS was because I provided him with a reference, and I was interviewed by an SIS official over it.
THAT was interesting … discussing matters of spookiness and state while feeding a bottle to my 7-month-old daughter.
Vote:April 10th, 2011 at 6:46 pm
I’m just glad they found a professional journalist to write the story, rather than the obsessed campaigner Nicky Hagar.
Vote:April 10th, 2011 at 6:48 pm
Unless he’s “judicially recognised” I ain’t beleivin’ shit
Vote:April 11th, 2011 at 8:22 pm
Charles Wardle here.
Had some stuff to add to article for those interested:
http://charleswardle.com/sunday-star-times-sis-spying-on-mosques-revealed/
Vote:September 2nd, 2011 at 4:14 am
Very funny Charles, I think you just love that spotlight don’t you. I think that other Kiwi is getting better Media isn’t he!
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