Evidence is beginning to mount that suggests the New Zealand Government may have deliberately conspired to grant permanent residency to German multimillionaire Kim Dotcom, in hopes that he would host a “sick party” at his Coatesville mansion.
Documents uncovered by the Herald’s David Fisher show that, in 2010, the Security Intelligence Service (SIS) had requested that Dotcom’s residency application be put on hold, but swiftly changed its mind when told there was “political pressure” to advance the case.
Exactly where this pressure came from and why has been the subject of intense political debate over the course of the week, but a further series of documents released today seems to suggest it may have come directly from then-Minister of Immigration Jonathon Coleman, who sources say was eager to have a “bitchin’ party.”
Sources in both the Immigration Ministry and the SIS say that Coleman had been, at the time, “totally bummed out,” and felt that John Key’s National Government was “complete squaresville.”
Coleman had hoped, say sources, that if an extremely rich internet media mogul was granted residency, he may be inspired to hold an “awesome party” that would be “completely off the hook.”
Analysts familiar with the case suggest this is the “most likely” explanation for the hurried residency application.
Labour Party associate security and intelligence spokesperson Grant Robertson took aim at the Government for their handling of the application today, saying he was “deeply concerned” about what political pressure was exerted, as well as whether or not the party occurred.
“If the party in question did occur, why were no members of the opposition invited to it?” Robertson asked TVNZ’s Breakfast programme this morning. “It seems unfair, in fact divisive, that the Government would risk untold diplomatic consequences to our nation, just so they could have a party that half of us aren’t even invited to.”
Host Rawdon Christie challenged Robertson on this point.
“Well, what would you say to those who suggest, perhaps, you’re just not cool enough for the party?” he asked. “What if they said, you know, that they’d been to the party, and it was actually pretty mega, and well, maybe if you had been there, it wouldn’t have really been the same? What would you say to me? I mean those people.”
A press release from Robertson’s office later this afternoon clarified that, after checking with his colleagues, the opposition had, in fact, been invited to the party; just not him. Robertson described this as “an oversight.”
A spokesperson for Jonathon Coleman has denied that he placed any pressure on the SIS to allow the case to advance, but said that even if he had, it was “completely worth it” and Robertson’s lack of invitation to the party was “not in any way” an oversight.