Hotel security camera footage of a secret meeting between TV3 presenter John Campbell and one of the men charged over the theft of historic medals from the Army Museum at Waiouru helped police make arrests.

The Sunday News reported today that Campbell’s television crew was unknowingly caught on closed circuit security cameras operating in the lobby of Auckland’s Duxton Hotel where the secret meeting with the alleged thief took place.

The newspaper reported that detectives probing the medals theft seized the security footage from hotel management.

The footage was expected to be shown to jurors at the trial of the two men, who have been charged with one count of burglary. In February Campbell’s show, Campbell Live, screened an interview with a man calling himself Robert who said he had taken part in the December 2 swoop on the army museum, when 96 medals, including nine Victoria Crosses, were stolen.

Viewers saw a man wearing a hood with his face in shadow being interviewed by Campbell. The audience was told an actor’s voice had been used to protect the man’s identity.

However, Campbell and TV3 later admitted they had made a mistake by not telling viewers that the interview was a re-enactment which used an actor and was based on the secret hotel meeting.

The two men charged with the burglary of the museum appeared again in court last week and were remanded in custody until their next court appearance in Wanganui.

All the medals were returned in February after a reward of up to $300,000 was paid.

The men, aged 37 and 39, appeared in the Auckland District Court and both had a court order preventing publication of their names continued until their next appearance.