The private information of six prison guards who are key witnesses in an upcoming trial has been found in the cells of gang members who are still in jail.
The guards were assaulted by inmates at the maximum security Paremoremo prison last October, with three suffering stab wounds. Inmates told the NZ Herald at the time they believed the attack was planned by the Killer Beez gang.
Now 1NEWS has reported a privacy botch-up has resulted in jailed gang members being given the private details of the guards and their families, leaving the guards fearing for their lives.
Details including guards' addresses, next of kin and partners' names were found in the cells of gang members last week, according to 1News. The privacy breach was discovered after key information was found in prisoners' cells, including those of Killer Beez gang leader Josh Masters, and a Black Power member.
Police were meant to delete the information but failed to do so, Waitemata police commander Tusha Penny said. She attributed the privacy breach to human error and said police deeply regretted their mistake.
It is unclear how the files ended up in the prisoners' hands.
