Tuesday 16 October 2018

Leader of NZ's National Party accused of corruption


Jami-Lee Ross: 'I believe Simon Bridges is a corrupt politician'


RNZ,
17 October, 2018

National MP Jami-Lee Ross is to resign his seat and step down from the National Party, and will stand as an independent in any by-election for his Botany seat.

Speaking to media at Parliament in a stand-up that lasted almost an hour, he alleged Mr Bridges had broken electoral donation law and said he would put in an official police complaint.

Watch Jami-Lee Ross speaking to media at Parliament:


Mr Ross said he had had a mental breakdown as pressure was ramped up on him to leave the party.

Mr Ross was speaking as MPs met in caucus to decide whether to suspend him after leader National leader Simon Bridges yesterday identified Mr Ross as the likely leaker of his travel expenses. Minutes before this was revealed, Mr Ross went on Twitter with a range of allegations against the leader.

Mr Ross said today it was clear he'd had a falling out with with leader Simon Bridges.

He said he once thought Mr Bridges was capable of being Prime Minster, "but now that I see what he's really like it is clear that he's not".

"Simon is a flawed individual without a moral compass."

Mr Ross said Mr Bridges breached electoral law several times, and that it was not acceptable.

"I believe Simon Bridges is a corrupt politician," he said.

He alleged Mr Bridges had carried out unlawful activity relating to election donations, including activity which Mr Bridges denied yesterday.

"Certainly I reject any allegation of the sort in terms of unlawful activity, it's simply not true," Mr Bridges told media yesterday.

Mr Ross claimed that Mr Bridges asked him to collect a $100,000 donation from a wealthy businessman and was at pains to point out the donation should not be made public. He said the donation was split into smaller amounts below the $15,000 declaration threshold.

He said he would release photos to prove the meeting between the businessman and Mr Bridges took place.

Mr Ross said his dramatic falling-out with Mr Bridges was the reason he was the target of a campaign to push him out of the party.

The campaign started three weeks ago, he said.

He was "marched to Simon Bridges' office" where he was told four women had approached deputy leader Paula Bennett, claiming Mr Ross had harassed them. He said Mr Bridges asked him to resign his portfolios, leave Parliament, and return to the backbench at the beginning of next year.

He strenously denied allegations he had harrassed anyone.

Mr Ross said was deeply hurt that Mr Bridges characterised his health problems as embarrassing.

He said his mental health was better now, and a doctor had told him he was fit to make his own decisions about his career.

Mr Ross said he did not leak Mr Bridges' expenses, but he leaked the text message from the person who did, which said the person who had leaked the information was in a fragile mental state, and asking for the inquiry into the leak to be called off.

He said the Botany by-election would be a referendum on Mr Bridges' leadership.


Fanning the flames: Ross tweets photos of meeting at centre of National allegations



RNZ,
18 October

Jami-Lee Ross has added fuel to the fire, tweeting photos of a fundraiser attended by Simon Bridges and a businessman, where he alleges a $100,000 donation to the party was offered.
Jami-Lee Ross addresses media
Jami-Lee Ross addresses media Photo: RNZ/ Rebekah Parsons-King
He has also tweeted photos of a meeting between Mr Bridges and the businessman Yikun Zhang at a private dinner, which Mr Ross says he attended, in May.

Mr Ross claimed that Mr Bridges asked him to collect a $100,000 donation from a wealthy businessman and was at pains to point out the donation should not be made public. He said the donation was split into smaller amounts below the $15,000 declaration threshold.

He has now released photos on Twitter claiming proof of the meeting between the businessman and Mr Bridges.







View image on TwitterView image on Twitter

I said this morning I would release pictures relating to the May events I outlined. The follow pictures are of Simon Bridges at a private dinner on 14 May. I was also there.





View image on TwitterView image on TwitterView image on TwitterView image on Twitter

It was at this fundraiser on 21 May that Simon Bridges was offered the $100k donation. He called me later that evening with instructions to collect the funds. I was not in attendance.
The source of the photos appear to be from a post on Chinese social network Weibo.

The Shadow Leader of the House Gerry Brownlee has told the Speaker to strike Mr Ross from their Parliamentary list, after the National caucus unanimously voted to expel him.

Ahead of Question Time today, the Speaker Trevor Mallard stood and informed the House that the National Party Parliamentary membership had changed.

Mr Ross' profile on the National Party website has also been quite promptly removed.

No caption
Photo: RNZ
It follows on from yesterday when Mr Bridges said an inquiry into a leak on his expenses identified Mr Ross as the likely culprit.

Mr Ross denied those claims and said Mr Bridges was attempting to use his contact with a local police area commander and a journalist as evidence that he was somehow involved.

To see more GO HERE






Simon Bridges could face jail if Jami-Lee Ross' corruption claims are true - law expert


Just so we’re clear, JLR is accusing SiBri of committing offences that carry a 2 year jail term and lead to automatic expulsion from Parliament (upon conviction).http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1993/0087/128.0/DLM1868340.html http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1993/0087/128.0/DLM1868350.html 

National leader Simon Bridges could face jail if the sensational corruption allegations rogue MP Jami-Lee Ross levelled at him are found to be true, a law expert says.

Mr Ross accused his former boss Mr Bridges of electoral fraud in a bombshell news conference held on Tuesday morning.

University of Otago law professor Andrew Geddis says the alleged offence carries a two-year prison sentence, and would “lead to automatic expulsion from Parliament”.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.