Minister to query licence for offender
The Associate Minister of Justice is “concerned” how a convicted child sex offender was able to obtain a real estate licence, after being deemed a “fit and proper person”.
And he will seek a “full explanation” from the Real Estate Authority about the handling of the case.
Last week the Herald revealed that Nitin Mittal was convicted of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old boy in 2016.
He was an Uber driver at the time and the child was his passenger.
Mittal initially pleaded not guilty to a charge of doing an indecent act on a young person but later admitted the assault and was sentenced to two months’ community detention and 12 months’ intensive supervision.
He unsuccessfully appealed his conviction, sentence and a judge’s decision not to grant him a discharge without conviction.
In April 2018 Mittal was granted a real estate agent’s licence.
REA chief executive Kevin Lampen-Smith said the “particular circumstances” of Mittal’s application were “fully researched, including review of the District Court sentencing decision and review of a relevant expert’s risk assessment”.
The REA then chose to issue the licence.
Associate Justice Minister Aupito William Sio said he would look into the matter.
“The actions of this individual are deplorable,” he said. “However, the details around the decision to license this agent are unclear at present.
“I intend to [contact] the Real Estate Authority for a full explanation.”
Mittal did not respond to the Herald when contacted.
However, last week he repeated a claim made to the courts that the teenage victim instigated the offence.
Mittal, who described himself as an agent of “integrity”, said he was due to be deported within a month.