Disappointment, no apology
Police deputy commissioner Wally Haumaha will return to his office unapologetic and ‘‘bewildered’’ after the police watchdog found he humiliated and intimidated two women staffers.
A report by the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) found the high-ranking cop aggressively asserted authority and belittled Justice and Corrections Ministry staff during a high-pressure project in 2016.
It also found he circulated confidential information in a bid to discredit one of the women, after both laid complaints in August.
Yesterday’s report – which said his behaviour in moments met the common understanding of bullying but was not persistent enough to be workplace bullying – is the third from a series of allegations that have beleaguered the deputy commissioner since June. Cries for his dismissal were not met.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern yesterday said the behaviour was ‘‘clearly inappropriate’’ but there was no clear and proper basis to remove Haumaha from the position.
The women stood by their complaints and were disappointed; not because Haumaha kept his job but because there seemed little remedy to come from the strong words issued by the IPCA: humiliating, intimidating, aggressive, and unprofessional.
Haumaha’s lawyer, Gerard Dewar, said the report was ‘‘closed-door justice’’, biased to unnamed complainants whose own behaviour was not considered. ‘‘This anonymity creates a framework within which anyone can say f ...... anything, without ever being tested . . . We have no faith in the integrity of this process.’’
Asked if Haumaha was apologetic for incidents described in the report, Dewar said: ‘‘I am able to say he’s been bewildered by the events as they have unfolded ... Two years after the event, history seems to have been rewritten in a manner unfair to him. It’s very hard to swallow.’’
The argument in which Haumaha stood over one of the women was regretted. The meeting where he forcefully asked each team member to pledge support to the project wouldn’t be conducted the same way now.
Dewar was dismayed the IPCA found his ‘‘orthodox’’ advice to have Haumaha ask colleagues for support was found to be improper. An open threat of judicial review remained, which Dewar said was considered on ‘‘an hourly, and daily basis’’.
‘‘This matter has had the effect of putting his whole life on hold, it has been a gross intrusion into an otherwise unblemished career. He continues to be attacked by the National Party, who previously supported him.’’
Police Minister Stuart Nash said Haumaha’s ‘‘improper and unprofessional behaviour’’ required follow-up action, and he asked police commissioner Mike Bush to report back by January 17 on how future inter-agency work would be better managed.
Bush said he met Haumaha yesterday to ‘‘reset’’ expectations and develop a plan – the details are a confidential employment matter – to address issues raised in the report. ‘‘I’ll be ensuring deputy commissioner Haumaha upholds our values to the highest level.’’
One woman who the IPCA said was belittled and intimidated asked, ‘‘How do we know there’s going to be accountability? Everything happening behind closed doors is what has got us into this problem in this first place.’’
While she didn’t want Haumaha to lose his job, she said there appeared a chasm between dismissal and other reprimands for inappropriate behaviour.
The second complainant, who is Ma¯ ori, took issue with a claim Ma¯ oridom backed the embattled deputy commissioner. ‘‘I am part of Ma¯ oridom. Ma¯ ori men are yet again talking on behalf of us Ma¯ ori women, where is our voice in this?’’
Before the report, she was unaware Haumaha distributed her information. A complaint over the privacy breach may be pursued.