A "shocked" Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is demanding answers after learning a former Lotto presenter accused of money laundering was suspended on full pay from his public sector job for five years, right up until he pleaded guilty.
Stuff reported that Russell Harrison continued to draw his Ministry of Justice salary throughout the suspension, amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars, until his employment was terminated.
The 56-year-old delivered six bars of gold bullion to the Comancheros in Türkiye and was among hundreds arrested in a 2021 global FBI sting. His name only became public a fortnight ago, when a suppression order was lifted at a court hearing where he admitted to money laundering.
Goldsmith said he was "shocked" and has asked the ministry for an explanation on how this could happen.
"I think everybody instinctively thinks five years is a very, very long time, and so I've asked for an explanation about that", he told 1News, adding he would expect that back "soon".
Harrison worked in the Justice Ministry as a Kaiārahi - Family Court navigator in Rotorua. His LinkedIn profile shows he started work at the ministry in May 2021. The arrest took place in June 2021.
He presented Lotto on TVNZ for more than a decade and also worked on cruise ships as an entertainer.
His arrest was part of an international operation, called Operation Trojan Shield, which culminated in coordinated raids across 16 countries, including New Zealand, resulting in more than 800 arrests, tons of drugs seized, and millions in cash uncovered.
Today's stories include a miraculous rescue in Venezuela, an update on the Empire state building couple, wildfires in France and Taylor Swift's wedding. (Source: 1News)
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