Jevon McSkimming Emails Not Shown to Police Minister
Here’s a breakdown of the key facts from the provided text, focusing on the situation surrounding Andrew Coster and the McSkimming allegations:
Key Points:
* Coster’s Resignation: Andrew Coster resigned as head of the Social Investment Agency following a damning report by the Self-reliant Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) regarding the police response to allegations of sexual offending by McSkimming. he accepted “full obligation for the shortcomings” identified in the report.
* Email Redirection System: A system was instituted to redirect emails related to the McSkimming allegations.It’s claimed coster was unaware of this system, but this claim is being heavily questioned - described as “unfathomable” – as the protocol was verified by multiple police employees and originated from his office.Ultimately, as commissioner, he was responsible for everything happening within his office.
* Allegations Against Ministers: Coster claims that ministers (specifically Chris Hipkins and Mitchell) knew more about the allegations than they have admitted.
* Briefing of Chris Hipkins (2022): Coster says he briefed Hipkins (then-Minister of Police) in 2022 about McSkimming’s affair with a younger woman and the subsequent allegations being emailed to various people. This briefing allegedly took place in a car in the South Island, and Coster admits he has no proof it occurred.
* Dispute with Mitchell: Coster disputes claims that Mitchell was unaware of the allegations until late 2023, stating they had informal discussions about it throughout 2024. He suggests Hipkins and Mitchell may be distancing themselves from the situation (“no-one wants to be close to this”).
* Lack of Documentation: coster acknowledges a need to take better notes, admitting he wrongly assumed people wouldn’t try to distance themselves from the situation.
* Coster’s Defense: He isn’t accusing others of wrongdoing,but asserts they haven’t been fully transparent about what they knew.
In essence, the article portrays a situation where Coster is attempting to deflect blame by suggesting others were aware of the McSkimming allegations and are now downplaying their knowledge. However, he is also facing scrutiny for his own lack of awareness regarding internal protocols and his inability to provide concrete evidence of key conversations.