Police Blackmailed Green, Lawyer Says

The Police Inspector who led the raid against The Daktory should lose his job for blackmail, the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party leader says.

Wellington barrister and party leader Michael Appleby said that when the Daktory was raided last month, Dakta Green's fiancee was held in custody without bail.

Police offered to release her and drop all charges against her as long as Green pleased guilty to his new cannabis charges.

"The police are blackmailing Green by trying to solicit a guilty plea out of him while his partner rots in jail on spurious charges." Mr Appleby said.

Waitakere Area Commander Inspector Steve Kehoe lead a raid against the Daktory just two weeks after Green was released from a long prison sentence.

Mr Appleby said Green was planing to stand for parliament in 2011 for the cannabis party but was unable to when he had his initial 8-month prison sentence increased to 23-months by then Solicitor General David Collins QC.

"The Solicitor General's appeal was clearly politically motivated and aimed at suppressing the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party," he said.

"The court of appeal claims that the Daktory was running a tinny house but would a Police Inspector really waste his time raiding a tinny house?"

"The Inspectors presence at the Daktory raid was politically motivated. I would like to know who is giving him orders to suppress the cannabis movement? He should lose his job for blackmail."

Mr Appleby is calling on Police Commissioner Peter Marshall to come clean on how much the operation against The Daktory has cost the taxpayer.

ENDS

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