By Sam Sherwood of RNZ

Former Assistant Police Commissioner Paul Basham has broken his silence following the scathing report by the police watchdog.

The Independent Police Conduct Authority’s (IPCA) report, released last month, found serious misconduct at the highest levels of the police over how they handled accusations of sexual offending by former Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming.

The IPCA report recommended employment investigations against three staff, Basham, Detective Superintendent Chris Page and Angela Brazier, the executive director of the Firearms Safety Authority.

On Tuesday, Basham released a statement via the police media team.

“This statement is being released considering the continued public interest in the IPCA report,” the statement began.

“I wish to confirm my commitment to engaging openly and transparently with the ongoing independent employment investigation. To support this, I have appointed Paul Wicks, KC, as my legal counsel and look forward to contributing to that process. Since the investigation is still under way, I will not be making any further comment at this time.”

Basham was referred to in the IPCA’s report as Assistant Commissioner A.

The IPCA’s report said the terms of reference for Operation Herb, which Basham was “directly responsible for”, were “in no way consistent with police adult sexual assault [ASA] policy and procedures”.

“He was unreasonably preoccupied with ensuring Deputy Commissioner McSkimming was not being unfairly disadvantaged in the forthcoming appointments process for the new commissioner, for which he knew Deputy Commissioner McSkimming would be an applicant.”

The IPCA said there were several factors that mitigated Basham’s failings.

“He had only come into the role of Assistant Commissioner of Investigations in April 2024, with limited handover and in the context of the rollout of new gang laws and other high-priority matters. As he puts it, his ‘head was spinning’.

“He has acknowledged that if presented with the same circumstances again, he would do things differently, including being ‘unequivocal about the primacy of alignment to ASA policy in the terms of reference’.”

Basham retired in September, two months after former Deputy Commissioner Tania Kura.

RNZ approached Basham for comment following his resignation, on what connection it had with the pending IPCA report.

The police messaged RNZ and said Basham wanted to pass on his retirement was “unrelated to anything other than it was the right time for him and his family. Entirely personal decision”.

– RNZ