In response to questions in the house, the Government released the latest legal costs for the Ahmed Zaoui case. There are a few points about the $2.4 million that are worth noting:
- Ahmed Zaoui himself has not received any money from the NZ Government
- The bulk of the costs ($1.2 Milion) is for the Crown Law Office, which has been extending the process by appealing decisions
- The Security Intelligence Service (SIS) has extended the process (and therefore the cost) by delaying the hearing into the security risk certificate. They have had more than two years to put together the relevant information
Ultimately, the cost is due to faulty legislation and the Government's refusal to simply recognise the decision of the RSAA an release Ahmed Zaoui.