The Wireless

Banks and Key under fire

10:52 am on 17 June 2014

Persistent litigant Graham McCready has filed new charges over the John Banks episode, and this time Prime Minister John Key is among the people in his sights, Radio New Zealand reports.

Banks was found guilty of knowingly filing a false election return relating to financial donations during his bid for the Auckland mayoralty in 2010.

Police initially did not file charges but the case was later taken up by McCready and then taken over by the Crown Law Office.

In the subsequent trial, Banks was found guilty and later resigned from Parliament.

McCready has filed new charges relating to the case, with his documents stamped by the Auckland District Court on Monday.

One of the charges against Key alleges he conspired to defeat the course of justice by ensuring Banks was not prosecuted by the police.

Another charge alleges Key was an accessory to the offence by being wilfully blind to the contents of the police document.

McCready has also filed an additional charge against Banks and two against Auckland police officer Mark Benefield.

Banks will be sentenced on 1 August.