Serious fraud probe into M¯aori Party donations

The police have referred the Ma¯ ori Party to the Serious Fraud Office over the failure to declare nearly $330,000 in donations to the Electoral Commission.

When Stuff broke the news of the non-declaration on April 12, the party’s president said the failure to declare the donations was an honest mistake by a volunteerrun party. However, the police, after being asked by the Electoral Commission to investigate the undeclared donations, have now referred the matter to the Serious Fraud Office (SFO).

A police spokeswoman yesterday evening confirmed the matter had been referred to SFO. The SFO did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Earlier this month, the Electoral Commission said it had complained to the police over three large donations to the Ma¯ori Party from 2020. The donations were not declared until March and April 2021, well outside the 10-day period in which donations of more than $30,000 must be declared to the commission.

Those donations were a cumulative $158,000 from former party co-leader John Tamihere, $120,000 from Aotearoa Te Kahu, and $49,000 from the National Urban Ma¯ ori Authority.

The National Party also declared a tranche of donations late – real estate mogul Garth Barfoot donated a cumulative $35,000 to the party over 2020, including $10,000 that put it over the $30,000 line in November.

The party was not referred to the police but the commission yesterday said it had given the

National Party a warning.

The Ma¯ ori Party has been contacted for comment about the SFO investigation.

Two weeks ago, party president Che Wilson told Stuff the undeclared donations had emerged while the party worked up its electoral return early in 2021.

‘‘In our cleanup in doing the final return for the campaign it became clear.

‘‘Once we realised we contacted the Electoral Commission straight away,’’ Wilson said.

‘‘The key issue is that we were late. It is a voluntary party. We are working with the Electoral Commissioner to tidy up what we did not do this time so that it does not happen again.’’

‘‘In our cleanup in doing the final return for the campaign it became clear.’’ Che Wilson Ma¯ori Party