The police minister says the correct process was followed by his electorate staff who forwarded emails containing allegations about former Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming to his ministerial office, months before he was made aware.
The Independent Police Conduct Authority’s report found “the emails allegedly sent by Ms Z dramatically increased in their number and distribution” in December 2023 and January 2024.
The report said the emails were sent to a range of people and organisations, including McSkimming himself, then-Commissioner Andrew Coster, then-Deputy Commissioner Tania Kura, the Prime Minister, the Police Minister, the IPCA, and various media outlets.
Mark Mitchell, who is also MP for Whangaparāoa, said 17 of the 36 emails in relation to McSkimming went to his electorate office.
“The correct process was followed, with those emails forwarded to the ministerial inbox for actioning. Electorate Staff are not employed by Ministerial services and do not deal with Ministerial Correspondence.”
The Post has reported the staffer in his electorate office, who is also his sister, responded to one of the emails in January 2024, to say the email address was for matters related to his electorate, and because the content related to his ministerial portfolios they would be managed by his ministerial team in the Beehive.
But because of a protocol put in place by Coster, the emails sent to Mitchell’s ministerial team were forwarded on to Coster’s office, and not shared with Mitchell.
The minister said the first time he was alerted to the situation regarding McSkimming and Ms Z was on November 6, 2024, when Coster briefed him. The next day, he called a meeting with the Public Service Commission and the Solicitor General to express his concerns.
“I am satisfied that all my team at both electorate and ministerial level have acted appropriately and diligently. No one knew at that stage there were integrity issues with the Police Executive,” he said.
Shortly after the release of the IPCA report, Mitchell said 36 emails containing the allegations were sent to his office, but he never saw them.
A protocol had been put in place for police staff in Mitchell’s ministerial office to forward the emails directly to then-Commissioner Andrew Coster’s office, and not share them with Mitchell or his political staff.
Mitchell has previously also defended the police staff in his ministerial office, saying they were put in an “awful situation” by the protocol, which he was unaware of.
Coster remains on leave from his role as Social Investment Agency chief executive while an employment process is carried out between him and the Public Service Commission.
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