The man at the centre of a spying scandal, internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom, says it's ridiculous that he has to take the step of filing a private prosecution in order to get any justice.
The Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) has found the police were justified in not prosecuting any officers of the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) for an illegal spying operation.
The inquiry was sparked by a complaint from the Green Party that the police were negligent in not pursuing charges against GCSB agents, in relation to the Dotcom operation.
Police say they now consider the matter to be closed, and the Government says the authority's report was thorough and the conclusions are clear.
Kim Dotcom at a parliamentary committee hearing on GCSB legislation in July last year. Photo: AFP
The handling of the Dotcom case set in motion a high profile review of the GCSB. It found a total of 56 operations, involving 88 individuals, where the GCSB may have spied on New Zealanders illegally.
Mr Dotcom says there are 88 victims who are not even aware they were spied on, and they should know and have the option to take whatever action they think necessary.
As for Mr Dotcom, he is 90 percent positive he will take a private prosecution, but is not happy it has come to that.
Mr Dotcom said his legal team was now sifting through all the documents and would give him a final analysis as to whether a private prosecution would be filed in the next week.
The Internet Party, of which Mr Dotcom is the founder, said the scale of the case meant it needed more than the normal review and oversight process and the party is calling for a Royal Commission.
Party leader Laila Harre said it should not be the situation that the individuals at the heart of the matter have to take getting justice into their own hands.
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters said the whole situation needed a review, beginning from when Mr Dotcom was granted residency.
And United Future leader Peter Dunne last year gave the Government the one vote it needed to pass the law that allows the GCSB to spy on New Zealanders.
He said in exchange for that support he put forward a number of changes, which included an agreement that a review of the GCSB and SIS would take place in 2015 and every five to seven years after that.
Mr Dunne said that should give the public more faith in the intelligence agencies.
