NZ CAA Director in a pickle
Sacked air safety inspector sues Civil Aviation Authority
12.02.2004
12.15pm
A Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) flight operations safety auditor sacked for a conflict of interest has taken legal action over his dismissal, MPs were told today.
CAA director John Jones told Parliament's transport and industrial select committee industrial proceedings were under way, but he was unable to discuss them.
Richard Cox was dismissed last year for misleading the CAA and the inquiry into his conduct.
The inquiry found Mr Cox grounded an aviation company, then had the company hire him as a safety consultant at the same time as he was responsible for vetting it.
Mr Cox, fired before the review was completed, had had permission from Mr Jones to work part-time for the aviation company while employed by the CAA.
Under a grilling by ACT MP Rodney Hide, who exposed the case in Parliament last year, Mr Jones took refuge behind a confidentiality agreement.
That did not prevent Mr Hide relitigating the whole issue, saying Mr Cox had been a scapegoat.
"I can't make any further comment," Mr Jones said, as exchanges between he and the MP grew more tense.
"We are going through mediation, we are in the process of mediation."
Mr Hide asked Mr Jones if he was using mediation as an excuse to prevent the select committee from scrutinising CAA in what was its annual financial review.
"You trying to tell this Parliament, this committee, that you can't discuss this important matter, it looks to me that you are ducking," Mr Hide said.
The select commitee was told Mr Jones had taken legal advice on what he was allowed to say to the MPs.
Mr Jones is on probation until next month, after the damning report on how he handled the case.
He did not see a conflict of interest in what he had allowed Mr Cox to do, but report writer Douglas White QC said he was "wrong" to come to that conclusion.
Mr Cox had invoiced the company for almost $27,000 for his services.
Mr Jones admitted when the report was released in December that he made "errors of judgement".
The company, which was not named in the report, had six of its aircraft grounded and the company's owner-operator -- who also worked as an airline pilot for another company -- had his licence suspended as a result of the CAA's investigation.
The company provided commercial pilot training and tandem skydiving activities.
- NZPA