Veitch scandal gets worse

EXCLUSIVE

Sunday News

POLICE want Paul Holmes to hand over the tape of an interview with Tony Veitch about the suspended TV and radio sports host’s bashing of his former partner.

It is understood revelations in the three-hour interview led to yesterday’s shock admissions by TVNZ and The Radio Network that bosses had known for months about details of Veitch’s 2006 attack on Kristin Dunne-Powell.

And Prime Minister Helen Clark last night expressed “deep concern’’ about the admission four senior TVNZ managers met with One News sports presenter Veitch in December over the matter.

Friend and former boss Holmes interviewed Veitch for The Holmes Column in today's edition of the Herald on Sunday, owned by APN in the same media stable as The Radio Network, where Veitch worked until he was stood down on full pay last week.

It is understood the tape recording of the interview conducted at Holmes' Remuera mansion contained a large number of "off-the-record" comments which Veitch asked Holmes to ensure were not published.

Sunday News has also been told Holmes instructed senior Herald on Sunday staff to immediately return the tape to him after it was transcribed. It was unclear last night who had possession of the tape and transcripts.

Holmes refused to discuss the matter and told a reporter, "I wish you a very good day", before hanging up.

But highly placed legal sources said should there be any suspicion the tape contained potential evidence for a police case against Veitch, the officer investigating his attack on Kristin would be likely to seek a search warrant of the newspaper's headquarters and Holmes' residences.

The officer overseeing the investigation, Detective Sergeant Mark Rowbottom, said police would be studying Holmes' column before deciding if there were sufficient grounds to obtain a search warrant.

Another police source close to the Veitch investigation said it would be preferable for Holmes or the Herald on Sunday to voluntarily hand over the tape.

Herald on Sunday publisher and APN spokesman Rick Neville last night said his organisation would comply with the law.

The Prime Minister backed calls for the recording to be turned over to investigators.

"If people have evidence of criminal offending by someone, they should go to the police," Clark said.

TVNZ is likely to face fresh criticism over the Herald on Sunday column following suggestions the exclusive tell-all interview was organised by the head of news and current affairs Anthony Flannery.

This was despite TVNZ telling journalists earlier in the week Veitch would not be available for interviews.

TVNZ spokeswoman Megan Richards admitted the broadcaster "had some discussion with one newspaper, but this was after Tony and his advisers had made their own arrangements for publication".

Yesterday it emerged Auckland police were made aware of the attack on Kristin after medical staff contacted them.

And police sources confirmed a domestic violence officer spoke with Kristin in July last year. Police set up an appointment for Kristin to make a formal complaint in December but she didn't attend.

Yesterday TVNZ bosses and The Radio Network execs were forced to admit they had prior knowledge of the incident between Veitch and Kristin, and that a financial settlement had been reached.

TRN boss Bill Francis said he was advised of the "personal conflict" following Veitch's return from last year's Rugby World Cup.

Francis said he considered the matter "private".

And TVNZ chief executive Rick Ellis issued a separate statement confessing four heads of department at the broadcaster, including head of news and current affairs Flannery, learned of the matter in December 2007. The issue was never reported to Ellis.