[asia-apec 527] Taxi row catches out secret agents

[Gatt Watchdog]

>From NZ Herald, Auckland 13/7/98

Taxi row catches out secret agents

Official papers left in missing van
by Tony Stickley

Sensitive papers concerning a visit to New Zealand by Canada's
prime minister went missing as Canadian secret service agents
unwittingly got caught up in an Auckland taxi firm's internal
warring.

The embarrassing lapse in security happened during the
Commonwealth heads of government meeting (Chogm) in Auckland in
1995 but has only now come to light and may have implications for
next year's Apec meeting, also to be held in Auckland.

The agents, led by a lieutenant-colonel, were responsible for the
safety of the Canadian premier, Jean Chretien.

Wherever he goes in his official Airbus 300, Canada One, they go
too.

But while the "spooks" have proved themselves more than capable in
providing security for their prime minister around the world, they
did not count on having to deal with internal discord at the
Auckland Co-op Taxi Society.

The agents hired a taxi-van, with its signs taken down, to ferry
them around town incognito for the week of the conference.

But unbeknown to them, the vehicle was at the centre of a complex
dispute between their driver and a person who is now a member of
the society's executive.

Near the end of the week, the six agents took the driver out to
lunch to thank him for his services.

When they returned to where the taxi was parked at the Manukau
shopping centre they found it had gone - and with it a satchel
containing papers relating to the visit and possibly preliminary
information on next year's Apec conference.

"They were very calm and professional about it but deep down there
were undercurrents, okay.  Put it this way - they weren't
laughing. It wasn't a funny matter," said the driver, who has
since left Co-Op and resolved his dispute over the taxi-van.

The van was recovered a couple of hours later.  It is understood
that the police became involved but no action was taken.

Yesterday a spokeswoman for the Canadian High Commission in
Wellington said that Ottawa "refused to confirm or deny the
incident."

Meanwhile, former Superintendent Brian Rowe, in charge of security
for Chogm, said he had not heard about the Canadians' taxi
difficulties.

Currently in unrelated cases, members of the Co-Op executive are
suing three other drivers or former drivers for $2.3 million for
alleged defamation.  One of the those drivers has counter-sued,
also alleging defamation.