A new view of post-collision interaction is obtained in two-dimensional maps of the electron distributions from double photoionisation of Ge(IV) compounds, occurring by the Auger effect via hole creation in the 3d shell. The peak shifts of the photolines are well modelled by the formula of Kuchiev and Scheinerman [M.Yu. Kuchiev, S.A. Scheinerman, Sov. Phys. JETP, 63 (1986) 986] which allows the intrinsic hole state lifetimes to be determined independently of line broadening by apparatus effects or molecular interactions. Separate double photoionisation spectra from direct or Auger ionisation processes are obtained and compared. (c) 2005 Published by Elsevier B.V.