Manurewa Marae has escaped receiving a criminal investigation after the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and police were unable to find sufficient evidence “to establish criminal culpability for corruption“.
“Following a detailed review, the SFO concurs with Police findings that there are insufficient grounds to initiate a criminal investigation into serious or complex fraud, including corruption offences. Other potential offences that fall outside the SFO’s remit will continue to be handled by Police through normal processes,” said a Police spokesperson.
In June 2024, an investigation was commenced after allegations of misuse of Census 2023 data and Covid-19 vaccination information at Manurewa Marae for Te Pāti Māori political campaigning.
Many political parties, agencies and the Prime Minister are getting involved with the matter.
The SFO and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) are still carrying out an ongoing inquiry into potential privacy breaches.
“The SFO will also continue to work closely with Police and other agencies to ensure that serious or complex fraud, including corruption, is exposed and dealt with wherever it occurs.
“The PSC’s inquiry found agencies failed to implement safeguards and rules for ensuring personal information was protected. A comprehensive work programme has been put in place to address the findings.”
In February, Te Pāti Māori President John Tamihere called the investigation a “witch hunt” on Māori, in particular the Māori at Manurewa marae and Te Pāti Māori candidates.
“If there was clear evidence, we’d cop it, but when you’ve had all the king’s horses and all the king’s men come together and try to get the Māoris and they haven’t been able to come up with one skerrick of evidence of wrongdoing.
“It was a witch hunt and we’re getting sick and tired of being targeted solely because we are the tangata whenua here,” Tamihere said.
