Mika X tried to bribe rich pal’s accuser
Actor unmasked over efforts to persuade indecent assault victim not to testify
Actor and performer Mika X has been revealed as the entertainer who helped a rich-lister’s efforts to dissolve an indecent assault allegation. Suppression for Mika, also previously known as Mika Haka, was lifted yesterday after he was sentenced to 11 months’ home detention by Justice Geoffrey Venning in the High Court at Auckland.
The actor, who appeared in the Oscar-winning film The Piano, had pleaded guilty to two charges of attempting to dissuade and bribe an indecent assault victim from giving evidence against the wealthy businessman.
His admission came just days before the rich-lister stood trial in February, which ended with the businessman being found guilty of indecently assaulting three men during the past 20 years and twice trying to pervert the course of justice.
The businessman, who continues to have interim name suppression, will be sentenced in May alongside his manager, who was also found guilty of attempting to pervert the course of justice.
Mika’s crimes involved offering a $15,000 cheque and future work opportunities to one of the victims in April 2017 and later being part of a plot to dissuade the same complainant in May 2017 on the Gold Coast.
Justice Venning said Mika was involved in a “serious, ongoing and cynical plan” to stop a vulnerable victim from giving evidence against the businessman. He said the conspiracy, with “significant sums of money and the offer of significant inducements”, was persistent with the purpose of helping the rich-lister avoid a trial.
Mika was also charged with threatening the young man in September 2017 with a $250,000 defamation lawsuit and arranging for him to be out of New Zealand at the time of the trial. That charge was withdrawn by the Crown yesterday.
After being sentenced, Mika, who recently wrote, directed and starred in the award-winning short film GURL, smiled and shook his legal team’s hands — seemingly pleased with avoiding the prospect of prison time. He smiled at media outside court as he left.
Mika is perhaps best known in the New Zealand arts world for the Mika Haka Foundation, which works in schools and the community to help young people through the performing arts and physical culture.
The court heard he would stand down from the foundation, which would have its name changed.
Mika also briefly delved into politics and stood for The Opportunities Party in Central Auckland in 2017.
His lawyer, Barbara Hunt, said he had expressed his remorse to the community, to the court and to the complainant he tried to dissuade.
“He accepts he made a mistake and will continue to make amends as he serves his sentence,” she said.
Also revealed yesterday was the involvement of Goulter & Associates, a PR firm run by Jevan Goulter, in the Gold Coast plot.
Goulter, who has a body of work in New Zealand politics, and his friend Allison Edmonds are the two witnesses granted immunity from prosecution by the Crown in exchange for their evidence against the businessman.
The rich-lister’s lawyer, David Jones QC, has said his client will appeal his convictions.