Rodney Hide berates ministry for bungling in getting Malaysian diplomat back to New Zealand to face criminal charges.
PETALING JAYA: Holding nothing back, columnist Rodney Hide of The New Zealand Herald has torn into his country’s Foreign Affairs Ministry for being “super-useless” in getting Malaysian diplomat Muhammad Rizalman bin Ismail back to New Zealand to face charges of burglary and assault with intent to commit rape.
Accusing the ministry of “professional schmoozing”, Hide said it was “dirty politics” of the “dirtiest” kind that allowed Rizalman to still remain in Malaysia while bureaucrats from both sides trudged along sorting through red tape.
Hide wrote, “Justice delayed is justice denied” in referring to the 148 days that the victim Tania Billingsley and her family have had to wait to face Rizalman in court, since charges were brought against him.
Attacking ministry officials for allowing Rizalman to claim diplomatic immunity and return to Malaysia, Hide described it as “a shocking shambles”, criticising officials who had taken it upon themselves “to act contrary to our Government’s wishes” while failing to advise ministry boss John Allen of their actions.
Hide also highlighted that an inquiry was ordered as to how the mix-up happened, but that everyone was still in the dark as to the outcome of the inquiry.
“We now need an inquiry into why the inquiry is taking so long,” Hide wrote in what sounded like utter frustration.
He also drew attention to a recent announcement by ministry officials that Rizalman would be returning to New Zealand within “days” saying, “That was 94 days ago. Still no Rizalman.”
Targeting Foreign Minister Murray McCully, Hide wrote, “The minister chooses to dodge the issue. He refuses to front the shambles.”
Saying the usual ministry reply of “working through technically complex legal arrangements” was as good as being “told nothing”, Hide remarked that these shenanigans simply meant, “We have been denied an explanation.”
Meanwhile Prime Minister John Key expressed confidence Rizalman would be sent back to New Zealand to face the music.
Speaking to reporters after his post-cabinet press conference recently, Key said, “It’s still before the courts and I don’t really have much of an update, except to say that we are confident the process will run its course and Rizalman will return to New Zealand.
Rizalman, who was the former military attache at the Malaysian High Commission in Wellington, was arrested on May 10 after allegedly following 22-year-old Tania Billingsley to her home and attacking her.
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak told Key in July that Rizalman would be returned to face the charges. It was initially believed he would return immediately, but the case has dragged out over several months.
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