Taito Phillp Field

Auckland, Oct 6 NZPA - Disgraced former MP Taito Phillip Field was today jailed for six years for bribery and corruption and perverting the course of justice.

In August, a jury in the High Court in Auckland found the former Mangere MP guilty of 26 of the 35 criminal charges he faced at the end of a 14-week trial.

Field was found guilty of 11 of 12 charges of bribery and corruption after getting Thai nationals to carry out work on his properties in Auckland and Samoa in return for immigration assistance between November 2002 and October 2005.

He was also found guilty of 15 of 23 charges of wilfully attempting to obstruct or pervert the course of justice relating to evidence he gave to a government-ordered inquiry by Noel Ingram QC into his conduct.

Field has consistently maintained his innocence but last week he apologised for the actions which led to his convictions. He also said his conscience was clear.

At a community meeting in Mangere he said he was apologising to the people of Mangere, and all of New Zealand, for allowing the outcome to occur.

He said while his conscience was clear he would accept whatever sentence he received.

Elected as Labour MP for Mangere in 1993, Field was expelled from the party in 2007.

He continued to represent the electorate as an independent MP before losing the seat to Labour's Sua William Sio in the 2008 general election.