New Zealand legislator to face bribery charges

May 23, 2007, 22:55 GMT

Wellington - Phillip Field, a former New Zealand government minister and now independent member of Parliament, is to be charged with corruption and bribery, police announced on Thursday.

The charges follow an investigation into claims that Field used cheap migrant labour - including a tiler from Thailand - on houses he owned in return for promises of help with immigration problems.

A police statement said Field would face 14 charges of bribery under a section of the Crimes Act dealing specifically with corruption and bribery by an MP.

A High Court judge will be asked next month to approve the prosecution, as required under the law.

If found guilty, Field could be sentenced to seven years imprisonment on each charge.

Field, who was first elected to Parliament in 1993, resigned from the ruling Labour Party in February as it was on the point of expelling him. He remained in parliament as an independent.

Prime Minister Helen Clark refused to re-appoint him as a minister after the 2005 election because of a 'range of inappropriate practices' and suspended him pending the police investigation.

Field, who was born in Samoa and holds the title 'Taito,' or village chief, has insisted throughout that he did not do anything illegal and refused opposition demands to resign from parliament.

He can retain his seat until he is found guilty.