The Parole Board’s decision to keep drug smuggler Karel Sroubek behind bars was the right one, National’s Justice spokesperson Mark Mitchell says.
“While Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway had no regard for public safety when he granted Karel Sroubek residency, it’s clear the Parole Board has public safety in mind.
“Karel Sroubek remains in New Zealand, but keeping him in prison is one of the few decisions that has made sense during this fiasco that has dragged on for more than a year.
“It’s clear from reading the Parole Board’s decision that it believes Sroubek poses a high risk. The Board questioned whether Sroubek was simply spinning whatever story was necessary to get out of jail.
“This confirms what National has said all along; that a convicted drug smuggler with a history of fraud, identity theft, and serious assault should never have been granted New Zealand residency.
“This is the third time Sroubek has been declined Parole. The risk he poses to the New Zealand public is seemingly obvious to everyone except Iain Lees-Galloway.
“Sroubek is the headache this Government cannot shake off. He will appear before the Parole Board again in four months, and the Minister will be hoping the IPT hearing has been resolved by then so Sroubek can be deported.
“Despite the Government’s best efforts to sweep this under the carpet, New Zealanders won’t forget that the Minister granted residency to a convicted drug smuggler.”
