Permanent Secretary at the Prime Minister's Office Parmesh Chand has thanked the New Zealand government for lifting sanctions to allow him into the country to tend to his sick wife.

Stuff.com reports that Chand wrote a letter to Helen Clark's Permanent Secretary and stated in the letter that he had nothing to do with the Bainimarama coup.

He said he was a contracted public servant and the Public service Commission posted him, in a side transfer to Bainimarama's office after the coup and as a civil servant, one does not have the liberty to refuse such side transfers.

He said after accepting the side transfer he was penalized by the New Zealand government with a travel ban for accepting a side transfer done by PSC based on existing laws and regulations.

Chand is back in the country.