This is not to do with the objectionable material that was found on his work devices. This is about the original complaint. I heard the basic details of this around six months ago, so it is good to be able to now write about it.
The basic list is McSkimming had an affair with someone 20 years younger than him. It ended badly and she made allegations against him. What is shocking is how the Police hierarchy responded to the allegations:
A report by the joint Police/Health Fixated Threat Assessment Centre in February 2024 identified the fact that potential criminal and Police Code of Conduct concerns relating to Mr McSkimming were being alleged in the emails and suggested referral to the Police National Integrity Unit and the IPCA with a view to possible investigation. However, the Deputy Commissioner and the Acting Assistant Commissioner (Investigations) to whom this recommendation was directed took no action. Instead, the only investigation that was launched focused on potential offences by the complainant under the Harmful Digital Communications Act, leading to her prosecution.
She made numerous allegations against the Deputy Commissioner of Police, and instead of investigating him, they arrested her! Appalling.
Now it may well be that her allegations were false. But the failing of the Police is that they didn’t investigate them. They basically all thought she was a “bunny boiler”.
When Police referred the matter to the IPCA in October 2024 then-Commissioner Coster attempted to influence the nature and extent of the investigation and the timeframe for its completion. Those attempts were perceived by some others within Police as designed to bring the investigation to a rapid and premature conclusion so as not to intersect with the Commissioner appointment process and jeopardise Mr McSkimming’s prospects of being appointed as the next Commissioner of Police, notwithstanding the seriousness of the allegations being made. …
In 2023, while a member of the interview panel for the statutory Deputy Commissioner appointment process, Commissioner Coster failed to disclose to the Public Service Commission his knowledge of Deputy McSkimming’s relationship which had subsequently led to the emails alleging misconduct. This failure clearly fell below what a reasonable person would have expected of a person in his position. Subsequently, Commissioner Coster’s disclosure to the Public Service Commission on 8 October 2024, during the interim Commissioner appointment process, also fell well short of what a reasonable person would have expected, given what he knew at the time.
This was terrible judgment, to put it mildly.
It is hard to overstate how damning this is for the Police hierarchy that was in place before 2025. The three most senior police officers (all appointed by the Prime Minister) are all implicated in serious errors of judgment.
David Farrar runs Curia Market Research, a specialist opinion polling and research agency, and the popular Kiwiblog where this article was sourced. He previously worked in the Parliament for eight years, serving two National Party Prime Ministers and three Opposition Leaders
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