Hapu to be better kept in the loop

A trustee of a troubled hapu has admitted transparency has been an issue within the group but says being open with the trust’s beneficiaries is now a top priority.

Amid allegations of hundreds of thousands of dollars being fleeced from Ngati Te Whiti Whenua Topu Trust, trustee Peter Moeahu said it was making every effort to keep hapu members in the loop.

‘‘It is vitally important that we keep our beneficiaries fully informed,’’ he said.

‘‘In fairness to them the trust may not have been as fully informative as it could have been but the trust is trying to make up for it now.’’

About a fortnight ago, a standoff occurred between Moeahu and hapu members fed up with the trust’s lack of transparency.

About 10 people entered the trust’s New Plymouth office and changed its locks.

Occupation of the building took place for a short while before Moeahu alerted the police who locked the office and took the keys.

While Moeahu has since had the keys returned to him, hapu member Peter Capper, who was involved in taking over the office, has told media his actions were a revolt after charges laid over the alleged theft of money.

A 55-year-old was arrested last month and is facing a representative charge of theft by a person in a special relationship. The man has appeared in New Plymouth District Court where he was granted interim name suppression. He is due to reappear on Thursday.

Capper was unable to be reached for comment but in a Native Affairs report he said for many years members had been trying to get information from the trust but it had not been forthcoming.

‘‘For three years there has been no financial audits presented to whanau. We’ve had enough,’’ he said.

At the trust’s last monthly meeting, Capper and other hapu members attended with a vote of no confidence against the Ngati Te Whiti Whenua Topu and the hapu trustees.

They wanted the trustees removed immediately, he said.

But Moeahu said administration issues had previously hindered the trust from always providing clear accounts of its inner workings.

He said the trust had provided an overview of recent events ‘‘to the best of our abilities’’ but were limited by the police investigation.