Richard Worth

Wellington, Nov 27 NZPA - The police have closed their file on Richard Worth and decided no charges will be laid, more than five months after the National Party MP quit as a minister and resigned from Parliament.

Dr Worth was embroiled in a sex scandal when a Korean businesswoman laid a complaint against him and another incident was revealed involving a woman member of the Labour Party.

At the time he was minister of internal affairs. He resigned the portfolio on June 3 after Prime Minister John Key said he had lost confidence in him, and quit Parliament on June 12.

It was reported in July that the Korean businesswoman, who was never identified, had dropped her complaint.

That was not confirmed, and today Wellington police said a careful and thorough investigation had been completed.

"Having completed the investigation, the police have determined that there is no basis for proceeding with any criminal charges against Dr Worth," the officer in charge of the inquiry, Detective Inspector Paul Basham, said.

Mr Key never disclosed the reasons why he lost confidence in Dr Worth, although he said it was not just the scandal.