(Correcting H4024, amending third par and timing of Hollow Men release)

Wellington, May 21 NZPA - Former National Party leader Don Brash has called for a Commission of Inquiry into the police investigation of the theft of his emails.

Dr Brash has written to Prime Minister John Key and Police Minister Judith Collins formally requesting the commission look into the integrity of the police investigation into the theft, and police behaviour since publicly announcing the investigation was closed.

Hundreds of his private emails found their way into the book The Hollow Men, written by Nicky Hager and released after the 2005 general election, which National lost.

A long police investigation concluded it was unlikely that anyone would be identified and charged "unless someone makes an admission during the interview process".

Dr Brash said he did not want the inquiry reopened but: "there are important issues relating to every New Zealander's privacy and the integrity of our political system that deserve resolution.

"Everybody has a right to expect their correspondence will not be illegally intercepted or read by people it is not intended for."

In a democracy everyone had an interest in being assured that the police take such issues seriously, he said.

"The heavily-censored information that was released to me and some media last week has added significant weight to my concern, held since I was briefed by police in mid 2007, that the investigation into this matter lacked any sense of urgency or diligence."

Police were more urgent with the Campbell Live case, where police obtained a search warrant for TV3's premises following a re-enactment of an interview with a medal thief, Dr Brash said.

He said police conduct since closing the investigation -- or declaring it "inactive" -- was also of concern.

Police behaviour was highly unusual, he said.

Despite promises in April 2008 that he would receive the final report on the investigation, he received it only a year later.

Any suggestion of political bias had to be addressed seriously, Dr Brash said.

NZPA PAR dw kn