EQC alleges blackmail?

The Herald reports:

The Earthquake Commission has laid a complaint with Christchurch police that Bryan Staples, the recipient of an accidental email including private customer information, allegedly threatened to use the email to extract preferential payment of invoices. …

Mr Staples – an insurance advocate and former EQC employee – sent an email advising EQC that if the commission paid particular accounts “in full within the required time frame, there will be no media announcement and the matter will die a natural death”.

It will be interesting to see the full e-mail, but on the surface of it, I’d say it is extremely unwise to demand money or you will go to the media.