The New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (SIS) is being ordered to apologise to Labour MP Phil Goff over the way information meant to embarrass him was made available to Whale Oil blogger Cameron Slater.
It's the first official punishment handed down by the Inspector-General of Security and Intelligence, Cheryl Gwyn, who has been investigating claims made by Nicky Hager in his book, Dirty Politics.
The book, which came out during the election campaign, claimed right-wing Slater had his requests for information deliberately fast-tracked by someone in Prime Minister John Key's office, and that someone was Jason Ede.
That led to the inquiry, to see how far any wrongdoing might have spread.
3 News understands the spy agency and Prime Minister John Key's office were found to be in cahoots with Slater to get the information out.
It was sensitive information that embarrassed Mr Goff, pertaining to the issue of supposed Israeli spies Mr Goff said he didn't know about, though he had been briefed about it.
The report deals with how the information got out, and that is through former SIS director Warren Tucker. Mr Tucker is found have been unfair and politically partisan in the way he dealt with the Prime Minister's office to get it out, according to 3 News' understanding of the report.
The Prime Minister himself is not likely to be implicated in the incident, though Mr Ede was working in his office. Mr Ede was on the phone with Slater at the time he requested the information through the Official Information Act.
The findings will be officially released tomorrow.
3 News
source: newshub archive
