Politics
Lyon Case Could Dampen PM's Election Chances
But Woonton advised to give officials a chance
Prime Minister Dr Robert Woonton is sitting on a wooden picnic table at Paulina's, a cheap eatery in the Cook Islands capital, featuring local dishes like rukau, leaf stew.
"Ah, this Mark Lyon case," he sighs, shaking his head, talking briefly about the latest controversy in weeks of public criticism about the controversial Auckland millionaire. Two nights later, Woonton's wife, Sue, is relaxing on the grass at Te Atu Kura, an official reception area, with hundreds of others, raising funds for cyclone struck Niue.
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"Mark Lyon has had his residence permit revoked," she says, and then stops, holding her finger to her lips. No need to worry about a leak to the media. The next morning's Cook Islands News carries a front-page banner "PM bans Lyon."
Granting a 12-month residence permit caused a storm of protest. Known across the region for their tamure dance and sense of fun, Cook Islanders are generally slow to anger. Not for them the complications of tribal payback, or ethnic-based compensation. But don't push your luck.
Angry citizens formed a committee especially to get Lyon deported. Even the threat of Cyclone Heta only put them off for a day or two. As diggers repaired damage to the coastal road around the country's main international airport, the Concerned Citizens Group continued digging dirt of their own.
They found it. Two teenage girls‹one underage‹signed statements alleging they had been exposed to pornography and drugs at the Lyon house. One also said she had been assaulted. Woonton ordered a police investigation and moved to revoke Lyon's residence permit.
"In the light of new allegations of a very serious nature brought to our attention by the Concerned Citizens Group, I cannot go on pretending nothing is happening," he told the local media. "These allegations are very serious and I have directed the police to carry out a full investigation. In the meantime, I have decided to disallow him entry into the country until the police have completed their investigations."
At the time, Lyon was in New Zealand for sentencing on unrelated charges.
Allegations against Lyon first became public when TVNZ sent a reporter and cameraman to Rarotonga, raising allegations of "sexual misconduct." The Lyon saga has brought nothing but embarrassing headlines for the Cook Islands. Hailed at first as a potentially prominent investor trying to turn over a new leaf after making "mistakes" in New Zealand, Lyon is the latest distraction from reform efforts, further exposing institutional weaknesses.
As well as "directing" police, Woonton was also speaking on behalf of the country's coroner. After a boy was suspected of dying from pesticides seeping into the lagoon, the prime minister claimed it was in fact blood poisoning from an infection gone bad, and no public safety issues were involved.
"I have been briefed on the death of the child. The death was reported to the coroner and he was satisfied that there was no need for a post mortem. The doctors are happy with the cause of death‹blood poisoning. At this stage we can see no direct link to the problems in the lagoon."
The coroner himself made no comment.
Similarities between the handling of the Lyon case and the child's death were hard for some to avoid.
Earlier, as Lyon protests first got going, evidence emerged that Lyon was only admitted in the first place after Woonton over-ruled immigration officials. With general elections looming within the next six months, critics say Woonton might do well to leave his officials to speak‹and decide ‹for themselves.
