Key drawn into scandal

Prime Minister Minister John Key was last night dragged into the widening ACC scandal and forced to deny a report he was part of a group of senior National Party figures who backed Bronwyn Pullar's bid for a $14 million insurance payout.

Mr Key's denial came at the end of a day in which ACC Minister Judith Collins sued Opposition MPs over allegations she leaked an email relating to Ms Pullar, and Ms Pullar claimed she used "stealth" software to monitor ACC's handling of her claim.

It also emerged the Green Party received the sensitive information about 6700 ACC claimants that was sent to Ms Pullar, sparking the affair, but returned it to the corporation.

TVNZ current affairs programme Close Up last night said it had received a letter written by Sovereign Insurance to former National Party president Michelle Boag in 2007.

The letter named 28 people, among them prominent National Party figures including John Key and former prime minister Dame Jenny Shipley, as supporters of Ms Pullar as she sought a $14 million payout from the company for injuries in a 2002 cycling accident.

The claim, Sovereign said in the letter, was "greatly in excess of her entitlement".

Ms Boag is a long-standing friend of Ms Pullar and supported her in her battle with ACC, including attending a December meeting with ACC which has sparked investigations by police and the Privacy Commissioner.

Mr Key was at the time the leader of the opposition.

Last night, he issued a statement saying: "I have not been involved in any 'claims support' or 'advisory team' for Bronwyn Pullar. The claim in the letter that I was part of such a team in 2007, or indeed any other time, is wrong."

Dr Mapp, a former minister who was an MP at the time, last night told Close Up he had met Sovereign to discuss the matter"I simply facilitated some meetings ... they ultimately led to a settlement."

It is understood that settlement was in excess of $1 million.

Ms Pullar did not respond to interview requests yesterday.

The letter preceded those Nick Smith wrote in support of Ms Pullar's ACC claim while he was ACC Minister and which led to his resignation from Cabinet last week.

Green Party co-leader Russel Norman last night said the letter raised questions "only an independent inquiry can legitimately answer".

Ms Collins yesterday initiated defamation action against Labour MPs Trevor Mallard and Andrew Little and Radio NZ over allegations about the leaking of an email sent by Ms Boag to Ms Collins about Ms Pullar's claim.

Meanwhile, it was reported when Ms Pullar emailed Dr Smith's letter to ACC in support of her claim last year, she used software enabling her to track each time it was opened and who it was forwarded to without the knowledge of the email's recipients.

 

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