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Taito Phillip Field - Source: ONE News -
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Two Thais did repair work on his house in exchange for free rent, former Labour MP Taito Phillip Field told the High Court at Auckland.
Field faces 12 bribery and corruption charges, related to his actions when a government minister.
It is alleged he allowed Thais he was helping with immigration issues to work on his properties for little payment, between November 2002 and October 2005.
He also faces 23 charges alleging he attempted to obstruct or pervert the course of justice during an inquiry into the corruption allegations held by Noel Ingram QC, and a subsequent police inquiry.
The jury was told on Friday that Thai Sompong Srikaew and his wife Phisimai Phothisarn approached Field in 2002, as they were due be removed from New Zealand.
Field said he offered for them one of his rental properties in Auckland, but he did not charge them to stay.
They offered to make some improvements to the house.
Field said he made it clear to them they should give him the bills for any repair work so he could pay for it.
Paul Davison QC, defending Field, asked him about his meeting with Phothisarn, who had invited him for a meal at the house with some of her friends.
"One of her friends was having a birthday and she found out it was the same day as mine, so they invited me over," he said.
"I called around on my way home after I left the office. The house was white on the inside previously. It looked a lot tidier but the colour was the same as it was before.
"There was an improvement in the general appearance because of the plastering, but I'm not sure how much had been painted."
Davison put it to Field that he had asked how much money they were going to charge, and Phothisarn said they didn't want any.
Field said he couldn't recall exactly what was said at the time.
"We went round the place and identified areas which needed improving. It was really a tidy up and to fix areas which needed plastering and painting," he said.
When Davison said it was suggested that the whole house was painted, Field said he did not remember that.
"They were having a discussion amongst themselves in Thai. That is certainly not the instructions I gave them," Field said.
"There may have been a misunderstanding because of the language barrier, I'm not sure."
Field was expelled from the Labour Party in 2007, continuing to represent Mangere as an independent MP. He was voted out last year.
The trial is into its 14th week of a scheduled 15 weeks.
The case is proceeding.
