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— “They never come back to me . . . Once I know you are bullshitting me I make sure that you know I know so don’t come back here.”

AND SO, JUST like that, there was John Banks.

Here was a politician of 40 years experience, who had built a life and reputation around his profile. Confronted by questions after the arrest of Dotcom and the others, Banks was quick to play down the nature of their relationship.

Banks obviously felt he was in a difficult position. The sole MP for and leader of the Act Party, his vote was critical to the governing National Party. His credibility was at stake too — a pre-election stunt with Prime Minister John Key, just three months earlier, had seen a conversation between the pair inadvertently recorded. The furore led to a police inquiry and accusations the media had indulged in illegal surveillance techniques, turning an electioneering photo opportunity between the Prime Minister and a future coalition partner into a farce.

Had Banks met Dotcom, Banks was asked by the New Zealand Herald’s Claire Trevett. A few times, he said. And the total of their conversation would have been 20 minutes. It included a dinner invitation, he said, although he couldn’t remember the date or the occasion. “I enjoyed the occasion. Yes I went and I stayed for a short while, as I do. I don’t know what we had for dinner, but it was a very pleasant occasion because I’m a car enthusiast and he had a nice collection of cars. I enjoyed looking at those in the garages. I got to speak to him for about five minutes.”

As it emerged, in detail which was excruciating for Banks, there was considerably more to their relationship. Dotcom had donated $50,000 to Banks’ 2010 campaign for the Auckland mayoralty, one of the biggest and hardest fought political campaigns of his career.

For Dotcom, it was an example which clearly contrasted and highlighted his credibility. The version of events which he could document and prove was different from that described by Banks. There was also, for Dotcom, the residual anger over what he saw as his abandonment by Banks in prison. Dotcom believed the long days and nights of pain in prison could have been eased by Banks interceding as a local MP. “And he didn’t do it. it was just a phone call I asked for. Or letter.” It was the agony he believed he could have been spared which made the difference in Dotcom’s attitude to Banks. “You can’t imagine the pain. It was horrible for me. And I was desperate because I knew I needed to be strong and I need to have some fix for this problem

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