Charges thrown out, letter in response:

Incredibly, publicly recognised anti-corruption campaigners Vince Seimer and Penny Bright were arrested at the AGM of Transparency International New Zealand - on International Anti-corruption Day no less!  And after the organisation had accepted their membership fees.  The link to Vince Seimer's Kiwisfirst website above gives the background to the matter.

The charges of trespass against Vince Seimer and Penny Bright were thrown out in the District Court last week for want of prosecution.  They have delivered the following letter to the organisation Transparency International New Zealand, not to be confused with our own organisation, Transparency in New Zealand, created by in January 2010 in response to this obviously bogus chapter of a previously respected international organisation.  The letter:

OPEN LETTER / OFFICIAL INFORMATION / PRIVACY ACT REQUEST
Dear Mr Browne,


ON 13 APRIL 2010: THE WELLINGTON DISTRICT COURT  DISMISSED TRESPASS CHARGES FOR WANT OF PROSECUTION.


BACKGROUND:


On 9 December 2009, on International ‘Anti-corruption Day’, Vince Siemer and I were arrested for trespass at the AGM of Transparency International New Zealand “TINZ”.


http://www.kiwisfirst.co.nz/index.asp?PageID=2145845357#transparency-international-new-zealand


Although both Vince Siemer, and myself, Penny Bright, have proven track records in the fight against corruption and greater transparency in New Zealand – particularly in the judicial and local government arenas – our TINZ membership applications were denied, and our requests to attend the TINZ AGM were denied (although it was open to ‘non-members’).


(For information outlining our work in the anti-corruption area, please see www.kiwisfirst.co.nz and http://waterpressure.wordpress.com )


No reasons have ever been given by TINZ, explaining why our membership and attendance at the AGM were denied, and where our ‘anti-corruption’ work failed to comply with the stated ‘objectives’ of TINZ, as outlined:


” The Rules of Transparency International (New Zealand) Incorporated     -           Date 12 March 2001″


4. Objectives


4.1. The general objectives of the Society are:


(4.1.1. to promote transparency, good governance and ethical practices in the private and public sectors in New Zealand;


(4.1.2. to promote ethical business practices by New Zealand business offshore, and transparency and good governance in our region;


(4.1.3. to contribute to the international effort to reduce corruption and promote good governance and ethical business practices; “
_________________________________________


Upon the bidding of TINZ leading office holders (including yourself)  -  we were arrested by Police, when we refused to leave.


These trespass charges have now been dismissed in their entirety. 


JUST HOW ‘TRANSPARENT’ IS TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL NZ?


1) Under the provisions of the NZ Privacy Act 1993, please provide copies of ALL TINZ correspondence/information; including, but not limited to: emails, reports, meeting minutes, diary notes, pertaining to the above-mentioned trespass charges, and their ‘dismissal’.


2) Under the provisions of the NZ Privacy Act, please provide ALL correspondence/information; including, but not limited to: emails, reports, meeting minutes, diary notes, concerning the  reasons why Vince Siemer and Penny Bright were declined membership of TINZ, and attendance at the 2009 TINZ AGM.


3) Please provide a copy of the ‘Register of Interests’ for Directors of the Board of TINZ.


4) Please provide the following details of all ‘contracts issued’ by TINZ for ‘goods, services and people’, on an annual basis since 2001, including:


a) Name of the contractor / contracting company.


b) Scope of the contract.


c) Value of the contract.


d) Term of the contract.


5) Please provide the information which confirms (or not)- on an annual basis – -whether any contractors employed directly or indirectly by TINZ are current or former members or directors of TINZ.


Yours faithfully,


Penny Bright