Source: Radio New Zealand
Police Minister Mark Mitchell said he wasn’t aware of a complaint against Jevon McSkimming until November 6, 2024. (File photo) RNZ / Mark Papalii
Police Minister Mark Mitchell says the former Police Commissioner’s claims he knew about allegations being made about Jevon McSkimming “absolute total nonsense”.
Mitchell said he was first informed of concerns regarding former Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming on November 6, 2024.
Last month Mitchell said 36 emails containing allegations about McSkimming were sent to his office but he never saw them.
A protocol in place meant police staff in Mitchell’s office forwarded those emails directly to Police Commissioner Andrew Coster’s office.
In an interview with TVNZ’s Q+A on Sunday, Coster said there were ministers who knew more than they admitted, including the then Minister of Police Chris Hipkins and Mitchell.
He disputed Mitchell was not aware of the allegations before November last year, and claimed it had been discussed “informally” between the two throughout 2024.
Mitchell told Morning Report, he did not know anything about the allegations before November 6, 2024, and he would’ve taken action sooner if he did.
“Had Mr Coster brought forward to me the fact that Jevon McSkimming had entered into an affair that involved a big age gap, a big power imbalance, that involved creating a job for this person in the police and then her butting up against the power of the state I would have done what I did on the sixth of November.
“[It’s] absolute complete nonsense.”
Mitchell said as McSkimming was the Deputy Commissioner at the time it would not be something he would have a “causal conversation” with Coster about.
“It’s a very serious matter. I take really seriously my job about protecting people…”
More to come…
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
