A woman who allegedly bribed a Rimutaka Prison guard with sex in exchange for smuggling illicit items into the prison has been revealed as one of the six people charged this morning.
The 37-year-old bar manager from Wainuiomata failed to appear at the Hutt Valley District Court on Tuesday morning.
Judge Tim Black has issued a warrant for her arrest.
Police announced earlier on Tuesday staff had busted a criminal operation within Rimutaka Prison involving current and former employees.
Six people have been charged following the three-year investigation by the National Organised Crime Group into suspected criminal activity at Rimutaka Prison.
The group - one current employee, an inmate, three former staffers and a member of the public – have been charged with offences involving corruption and bribery.
The six people aged between 37 and 50, are from Auckland, Porirua, Hutt Valley and Hawke's Bay and will be appearing in the Hutt Valley District Court on 19 December 2023.
The corruption and bribery charges required Attorney General consent to prosecute.
The investigation dubbed Operation Portia began in 2020 following Operation Dory, a drug-related investigation at Rimutaka Prison. Those involved in Operation Dory have already been before the court.
Police have interviewed almost 200 people during the course of Operation Portia, including Corrections staff, prisoners and other witnesses.
"Our investigation involved tactics like the interrogation of phones, bank data and viewing hours of CCTV," police said.
"This has been an incredibly complex and dynamic investigation with a lot of moving parts."
Police worked with Corrections management and has provided information to support the prison to strengthen its management of systems and processes.
In addition to the corruption and bribery offences, Operation Portia investigators identified alleged offences involving assault and one case of using a document.
These investigations were undertaken by Wellington District Police staff and have resulted in five people being charged.
Four have been dealt with by the court and one prosecution remains ongoing.
These investigations and those held responsible are separate from the corruption and bribery charges laid as part of Operation Portia.
As the matters are now before the courts, police said it is limited in providing any further information.
Corrections NZ National Commissioner Leigh Marsh told Newshub in a statement the current employee has been suspended.
"We will not tolerate illegal behaviour in our prisons. We expect a high standard of conduct from all employees. The nature of our work means we must act beyond reproach at all times," Marsh said.
Marsh added that Corrections employs around 10,000 staff in prisons and in the community.
"The overwhelming majority of our people act with integrity, honesty and professionalism. Our clear expectation is that staff uphold the standards of behaviour in our Code of Conduct, and comply with the law. We demand a high standard of conduct and integrity from all employees, and if any staff don't meet the standards required, we take action."
Marsh said prisoners will often go to extreme lengths to continue offending while incarcerated.
Around 37 percent of prisoners have a gang affiliation, which is a known risk factor for anti-social and criminal behaviour, and gangs are becoming increasingly sophisticated in the way they operate. Marsh said this presents significant challenges for frontline staff.
"At Rimutaka Prison, there is ongoing work to strengthen our culture, ensure professional standards of behaviour are consistently followed and maintained, improve our practice, and strengthen our overall management of people in prison. This work commenced under the previous Prison Director and the current Prison Director is committed to continuing this."
Staff who wish to seek support for integrity issues can contact the Integrity Assurance Team, speak with their manager or another manager, talk to their HR adviser, or contact anonymous crime reporting line Crimestoppers.
"All allegations will be taken seriously," Marsh said.
