New Zealand’s minister for primary industries, Nathan Guy, has confirmed the federal government will not launch an inquest into Zespri while the single-desk kiwifruit marketer is under investigation by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO).
“The Serious Fraud Office investigation into Zespri makes it even more important to wait before considering any further action,” Guy told SunLive.“The SFO are completely independent, and there would be no point launching an inquiry on top of theirs.”
Earlier this week, right-wing political party ACT New Zealand called for the government to lead an independent review into Zespri’s operations.ACT’s primary industries spokesman Don Nicolson said Zespri’s decision to cease assisting with an ongoing industry-led investigation warranted an independent inquiry.
New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers president Neil Trebilco told SunLive he was disappointed the industry investigation could not be completed, but understood why Zespri had been given legal advice not to disclose any further information to the inquiry while the SFO investigation was underway.
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