7 Jan 2016

Former top Cooks official quizzed by police

4:36 pm on 7 January 2016

The former Cook Islands Financial Secretary has been questioned by police about government spending during the last financial year.

Police would not disclose exactly why Richard Neves was questioned, however, they told the Cook Islands News he was free to leave Rarotonga and return to Canberra.

Financial Intelligence Unit head Bob Williams says there was a list of people they were interviewing about a number of complaints.

Mr Williams says the investigation centres on the spending of public money, including the government decision to advance more than 132,000 US dollars to Pacific Schooners for the vessel Tiare Taporo.

The investigation came to light when a legal opinion was leaked in November.

The legal opinion was done as part of an investigation into the government's use of Section 70 of the Constitution, which was used to sign off spending millions of dollars through Executive Council Orders.

Public spending is usually only signed off once it is debated and voted on in parliament.

The finance minister Mark Brown and Mr Neves have denied any wrongdoing.

Cook Islands police

Cook Islands police Photo: RNZI / Mary Baines