Call for inquiry into alleged S.I.S. link

Press, 30 January 1986, Page 28

Call for inquiry into alleged S.I.S. link

PA Wellington The Council for Civil Liberties has called for an investigation into alleged links between the Security Intelligence Service and a Right-wing group in Dunedin known as the Senate.

The “New Zealand Times” said in a report on Sunday that the group, funded by wealthy businessmen, was using information held by the police and the S.I.S. to undermine organisations such as the peace movement.

The police have denied providing the information.

The Civil Liberties Council’s president, Mr Jack Shallcrass, said the council would be appalled if police or S.I.S. files had

come into the hands of the Senate. It seemed the information could only have come from a highly informed source such as the 5.1.5., he said.

“The S.I.S. has passed information for political purposes before but this occasion seems to be particularly blatant and impudent.” The Prime Minister, Mr Lange, as Minister in charge of the 5.1.5., should investigate the affair, he said.

The “New Zealand Times” said the latest issue of the Senate’s newsletter contained a detailed file on a prominent Dunedin peace and antitour activist, Mr Allan Cumming. The file had

information about Mr Cumming’s alleged criminal activities in the last 10 years and involvement in 14 organisations. Mr Cummings told the newspaper that the information was mostly correct and parts of it were known to very few people.One detective had said the form of the file used in the newsletter was the same as official files in the police criminal Intelligence section. The “New Zealand Times” said a Dunedin police criminal investigation section spokesman had admitted that the amount of information held by the group was “incredible” but said “there is no way they are getting it from us.”