New Zealand: "He was completely naked and was covering his penis with his hand"

3.00

PM: An eyewitness has reported seeing a naked man near the home of MP Darren Hughes on the night of an alleged incident which is being investigated by police.

Hughes stood down from his portfolios yesterday and even offered to resign, as news of the police investigation hit the headlines following a complaint from an 18-year-old man about an early morning incident after a night out drinking with the MP.

Stuff.co.nz reports several staff at a central Wellington business have said that a young man was spotted by the company's owner around 4.30am on March 2 near Moxham Ave and the south end of the Mount Victoria tunnel.

"He was completely naked and was covering his penis with his hand," the staff member told the news site.

"It looked like he was hitchhiking or waiting for a ride, he didn't look in a good way." 

The witness then saw a police car with its lights flashing coming through the tunnel from the city, so did not stop to help the nude man.

6PM: Labour Leader Phil Goff says his decision to accept Darren Hughes' resignation should not be seen as any indication he believes the MP has done wrong.

"He'll be gutted by the loss of a job he's wanted to do all his life. This is not necessarily the end for Mr Hughes," he has told media in Auckland tonight.

"Events of the past few days have made it increasingly clear to Darren that the controversy around the allegations made against him has made it impossible to carry out his duties.

"In reaching that decision he is adamant that he has committed no offence.

"He needs to focus on clearing his name. I agree this is the right decision."

Goff has asked the media not to carry out their own investigations into the allegations, saying, "It is important that the police are able to conclude their investigation without interference."

During his years in the public eye Hughes has made no reference to his actual sexuality. 

Hughes is a list MP so his resignation opens a place in Parliament. Judith Tizard is next on the list, followed by Mark Burton. But a senior Labour Party source is claiming that the next five people on Labour's list, including Tizard, "will not be on the list" for the general election and therefore may not want to disrupt their lives to sit in the house for such a short time.


New Zealand Daily News