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Neelam Choudary - Source: ONE News -
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ONE News has revealed the name of one of the women at the centre of the allegations that have led to Richard Worth quitting as Internal Affairs Minister.
The former minister is subject to two complaints by two separate women, one of which is being investigated by police.
One of those women is Neelam Choudary, a very active and prominent member of the Labour Party in Auckland.
The MP is accused of sending sexually explicit text messages and phone calls to Choudary, who claims the former minister also offered her government jobs. She has not laid a police complaint.
On the Labour website Choudary is shown to have connections to several high profile Labour MPs.
Check out Choudary's profile page
Leader Phil Goff is defending the complainant as he campaigns in the Mt Albert by-election.
"The complainant is obviously under a great deal of stress at
the moment because this is something she never asked for," says
Goff.
"The person that came to me is a person that came to me wanting to
protect the privacy of her family. She has two young children I
think we should protect that privacy."
Labour says she deserves a level of privacy that Worth does
not.
"She has done nothing wrong. She has quite rightfully bought to my
attention and to John Key's attention that job offers were being
made which appear to have been made further a sexual and romantic
relationship," says Goff.
Key is currently treading very cautiously on the subject.
"There's little more I can do at the moment. If she wants to
present the text message to my chief of staff then I'll honour the
commitment I make, that I'll see her, and if it's in the nature
that would warrant that. But outside of that the New Zealand public
wants to know that I'm focused on the big issues," says Key.
Until Wednesday, Labour was saying the complainant wanted a
personal meeting with the Prime Minister. However, now she seems
willing to settle for less.
"I think it is now in her mind that she will put her story in writing for Mr Key and forward it too him. I think that that can bring an end to this saga," says Goff.
For more on the other complainant in the Worth saga click here
