Some light has now been shone on yet another murky corner of the Immigration Service, one of several sub-departments of state which - under the inadequate overall supervision of the Clark Government and sometimes bungling management at senior level - has damaged in the minds of many the reputation of the public service.
We now know that three members of the "extended family" of the former deputy head of the Labour Department and head of the Immigration Service, Mary-Anne Thompson, gained New Zealand residency although their applications missed a deadline by 10 months and the Kiribati quota had already been filled.
Staff who processed the papers who were interviewed for a later inquiry had raised concerns at the time and, significantly, noted on the file they were acting under instructions - read pressure - from senior managers.
The implication was clear enough; Ms Thompson signed her name to the applications as having helped with their preparation.
The irregularities became apparent after an audit in 2007, two years after the applications had been dealt with.
They were kept quiet.
The residencies were not revoked, despite a finding that the people would not have been granted residency had even the usual processes been followed.
Ms Thompson denied she had sought to influence the outcome.
It is a matter of record that she had - extraordinarily enough - been warned previously about assisting family members in immigration matters.
A secret internal inquiry found she had not sought to influence the applications, other than signing her name to them; One staff member was disciplined, and Ms Thompson was "counselled".
The Minister of Immigration, Clayton Cosgrove, confirmed in media and Parliamentary questioning that he had been informed some time ago about the matters, had raised "concerns" with Ms Thompson's superiors, but that it was an "operational" matter.
He has thus been hiding behind the State Sector Act, which requires ministers to keep out of employment matters, This, however, is not just an employment matter but goes to the very heart of trust in the service for which he is ultimately answerable.
It was not the department's prerogative to approve the particular residency permits in this case; it is in fact the sole responsibility of the minister.
Continued prodding and investigation by the news media eventually prompted the minister to ask the State Services Commission to review the residency applications.
Now Ms Thompson has resigned and the police are investigating her claimed qualifications.
She could not, in all conscience, continue in her position, and the State Services Commission's inquiry must thoroughly examine the wider organisational problems the case has implied.
At the very least, a perception has been created that the immigration "playing field" is by no means as level as it is supposed to be.
This is Third World stuff, especially when - in the public mind - historic cases of apparent corruption are added to the mix.
The part played by the cold light of publicity is also important.
In today's world of the official half-truth, face-saving outright denial, cover-up and "spin', would any of it have reached the public domain had not the media done its job? The point has been well made that neither the minister nor his department head felt moved to make public what Ms Thompson was said to have done at the time the accusation of preference was made.
And her resignation was tendered not because of the inappropriate handling of the case, but because the case and how it was dealt with became public.
We still do not know whether the illegally admitted relatives will be sent back to where they came.
Some assurance from Mr Cosgrove is required, therefore, lest it be thought those involved have "got away with it".
In the meantime, the public service appears to have lost an individual who had a stellar career, from chief economist at the Ministry of Maori Affairs, to chief policy adviser in the Department of the Prime Minister, to head of the Immigration Service - appointed to rebuild confidence in it and its reputation.
New Zealand is, after all, a prize for the rest of the world's population, and a long way from the troubled hot spots of Asia, Europe and the Middle East, let alone from countries where backhanders, "influence" peddling, and bribery are required to smooth the path through officialdom.
It is a great privilege to live here; that is why no stone must be left unturned to get to the bottom of this sorry and damaging business.
