After 2 weeks of side steps and prevarication Banksie came clean. He'd cleared the matter up, well sort of. The bit that he cleared up was that he hadn't really forgotten anything when he said he didn't remember or didn't recall conversations, meetings and even a helicopter ride courtesy of Kim Dotcom. He admitted that he was just lying about that because that's what some naughty lawyer told him to do. He pointed out that he'd always been forthright, a fair dinkum straight up bloke really, who took poor advice against his own better judgement.
Well, I suppose that was some traction. He even waxed lyrical about lobbying for Mr Dotcom and what a good citizen Mr Dotcom was. He was most certain that he didn't know of any donation from Kit Dotcom and that only came to his attention when he saw the cheque details on bank statement reprinted in the Herald. Of course this is the same Dotcom that Banksie trying to put daylight between the two apart from a cup of tea once at Dotcom's home. Suddenly there were at least 4 meetings, phone calls, more contact than an ordinary bloke would have with his mothers-in-law in 5 years. So we are to presume the same lawyer told Banksie earlier this year to just admit having a cup of tea with the German millionaire and that's all.
To this point we haven't heard from the lawyer but I'm sure Banksie will be attending a media conference with the lawyer very soon so that the lawyer can confirm that he told Banksie just to say he had a cup of tea with Dotcom and after that pretend he couldn't remember anything else and that at that moment a puzzled expression passed across the face of the Crown Minister which the Lawyer considered to be subdued reproof.
But it's still pesky pesky, because it now clear from Bankster himself is supporting the story that won't go away, that Bankster took a donation from Dotcom, asked for it to be split into two separate cheques, later rang to say thank you when the cheques had cleared after which, the now Crown Minister, had them entered as anonymous donations. So John Banks has come right in from the cold and is supporting what Dotcom has said from the outset, given him the credibility in this situation but still denying anything about the claim that Banks asked for separate cheques and rang later to say thank you.
So far everything which Dotcom has said, and which Banks couldn't remember, has proven to be true. It remains that what Banks earlier said he wasn't aware of, he is now sure didn't happen, the request for separate cheques, and the phone call. Of course anybody would be sceptical that a lawyer would advise a Minister of the Crown to be anything apart from truthful, only Banks can prove that now. Putting even that aside, sceptism is raised that any Minister would take advice not to tell the truth. The vast playing field has narrowed considerably to the cheques and the thank you. All the meetings, party, toasts etc. are confirmed even by the last person to admit them. Banks is yet to make a single score in the credibility column, whilst shoring up the credibility of the man Banks was happy to take money from on the basis of a favour or favours that may yet find their way into the public forum in specific language.
In his great relief to come clean yesterday, Banks only came part way, perhaps the relief from pressure of being silent prevented him from understanding that a complete disclosure was needed - warts and all, or that this job, half done, remains unresolved as to whether it was Banks lying or Dotcom, with one of the men shown to be a persistent suitor of the truth and the other.....well he forgot, or it was a lawyer.
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