ACC computer claims must be properly investigated

The Police may need to investigate whether or not former ACC Chairperson John Judge has deliberately destroyed information that may have been crucial to two current investigations, Green Party ACC spokesperson Kevin Hague said today

ACC Minister Judith Collins has stated that in response to an Official Information Act request that "parts of it (Mr Judge's computer) may well have been destroyed."

"There are two separate inquiries running at present into events that occurred while John Judge was the chair of ACC, "said Mr Hague.

"If the ACC Minister's claim that Mr Judge may have destroyed information on his computer is found to be correct, then surely this amounts to an offence under the Privacy Act.

"ACC's procedures about use of ACC hardware for personal use and offsite, and official information sent to private email addresses or private hardware need to be included in the Privacy Commissioner's investigation currently underway," said Mr Hague.

"Although these issues are peripheral to the wider concerns of about a culture of disentitlement at ACC, it is important for the integrity of the public service that they are investigated properly."