Christchurch, New Zealand: An inmate at Christchurch Men’s Prison has been charged with allegedly bribing a prison guard to smuggle contraband into the prison, with both the inmate and the correctional officer now facing court proceedings.
The inmate appeared before the Christchurch District Court on Thursday, where Judge Quentin Hix heard the case. He faces three charges of corruptly giving a bribe to a prison guard between December 2023 and January 2024.
According to court documents, the inmate allegedly paid the prison officer NZ$1,000 on two separate occasions and NZ$500 on a third occasion in exchange for smuggling prohibited items into the prison.
Represented by lawyer Ethan Huda, the inmate pleaded not guilty to all charges and elected to stand trial before a jury. The defence also sought interim name suppression, which was granted by the court.
The accused is scheduled to return to court in September.
The prison guard allegedly involved in the case has also appeared before the courts and has been granted interim name suppression while legal proceedings continue.
The case follows an internal investigation that began after a detector dog team allegedly located contraband on a staff member in March last year. The incident was subsequently referred to New Zealand Police.
In an earlier statement, Christchurch Men’s Prison General Manager Joanne Harrex said prison staff are expected to maintain the highest standards of integrity and professionalism.
Harrex said the vast majority of correctional staff act honestly and responsibly, but stressed that anyone who breaches those standards undermines the integrity of the prison system and places colleagues at risk. She added that allegations of staff misconduct are investigated thoroughly and referred to police when appropriate.
The criminal proceedings remain before the courts. As the accused has pleaded not guilty, the allegations have not been proven, and both the inmate and the prison guard are entitled to the presumption of innocence unless and until proven guilty in court.
