New Zealand MP resigns after getting caught shoplifting on CCTV | World News

A New Zealand Green MP has been forced to resign after she was caught shoplifting from multiple high-end clothes stores in Auckland and Wellington.

43-year-old Golriz Ghahraman, the party’s justice spokesperson, has resigned with immediate effect following the scandal, saying she takes ‘full responsibility’ for her actions.

Accusations against the MP first emerged on December 23,  when she was accused of shoplifting from Auckland’s Scotties Boutique in Ponsonby.

A second alleged incident at Scotties has since emerged and is also under investigation.

The owners and staff of Scotties Boutique refrained from making any public statements regarding the allegations involving Ms Ghahraman, although CCTV footage of the incident has allegedly been viewed by the NZ Herald.

More allegations against Ms Ghahraman later emerged from a Wellington store called Cre8iveworx. The high-end boutique reported an alleged shoplifting incident involving the MP to the police on October 26.

The allegations against the MP were first reported on January 10 by Newstalk ZB Plus. The police later confirmed they were investigating an allegation but were unable to confirm any individual identities.

In her first public comments since the allegations surfaced, Gharaman said she was suffering from mental health problems related to her work, which were confirmed by a mental health professional.

In a statement, she said: ‘It is clear to me that my mental health is being badly affected by the stresses relating to my work. This has led me to act in ways that are completely out of character. I am not trying to excuse my actions, but I do want to explain them.

‘People should, rightly, expect the highest standards of behaviour from their elected representatives. I fell short. I’m sorry.’

‘The best thing for my mental health is to resign as a member of parliament and to focus on my recovery and to find other ways to work for positive change in the world.’

Prior to her election in 2017, Ms Ghahraman served as a human rights lawyer. She made headlines as New Zealand’s first refugee Member of Parliament and held nine portfolios, including justice, foreign affairs, human rights, defence, refugees, and women.

She added: ‘It’s not a behaviour I can explain because it’s not rational in any way and, after medical evaluation, I understand I’m not well. The mental health professional I see says my recent behaviour is consistent with recent events giving rise to extreme stress response, and relating to previously unrecognised trauma.

‘With that in mind, I don’t want to hide behind my mental health problems, and I take full responsibility for my actions, which I deeply regret.’

Following her resignation, Green Party leaders Marama Davidson and James Shaw held a press conference in which they acknowledged the situation after days of silence. ‘It’s important to understand that all MPs are still human,’ said Ms Davidson.

Mr Shaw added: ‘What we are disappointed about is the circumstances she finds herself in. It’s unfortunate and it’s important to us that she takes accountability for her actions and gets the support that she needs. We hope it [the investigation] gets resolved as fast as it can.’

He said Ms Gharaman had been subjected to continuous threats of physical and sexual violence ‘since the day she was elected to parliament,’ and said the continuous stress of such threats was bound to take a toll.

‘I have a lot of empathy for the fact that she has identified that she is in a state of mental distress,’ he added.

‘Everyone will have criticisms about how we handled [the situation]. It doesn’t change the outcome. Ultimately, she is taking accountability for her actions and is seeking help.’

The two leaders also noted that Ms Gharaman’s political achievements had been ‘significant’ and that she had ‘worked tirelessly on behalf of her communities’ during her time in parliament.

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