New Zealand MP Golriz Ghahraman: The MP has resigned after CCTV footage surfaced on Tuesday. CCTV shows her taking a designer handbag from an Auckland boutique. The MP has been accused of stealing from shops thrice in two cities.
Wellington: New Zealand’s Green Party female MP Golriz Ghahraman has resigned. Golriz, of Iranian origin, resigned from her post after facing at least three allegations of theft of clothes and handbags from the boutique and CCTV footage of the same was revealed. CCTV footage of his attempt to steal goods from two expensive clothing stores in Auckland and Wellington has also surfaced. After resigning, Gharman cited his stress as the reason and apologized.
Ghahraman said, due to the stress related to my work, my mental health is being badly affected. This has led me to act in ways that are completely out of character for me. I’m not making any excuses for my actions but I want to keep things as they are. The kind of behaviour that people expect from their elected representatives, which I did not do. It would be best for my mental health to resign as a Member of Parliament and focus on my recovery and finding other ways to work for positive change in the world. Police are investigating the theft allegations against Golridge.
In response to 42-year-old Gharaman’s resignation, Green Party leader James Shaw said Gharaman had received constant threats of sexual violence, physical violence and death threats since the day she was elected to parliament. These threats were investigated by the police almost throughout her time as an MP. Living in a stressful situation with such a level of threat naturally has consequences. Gharman has spoken on several occasions about threats related to her Iranian heritage and various issues.
