Haumaha report lacks balance: pair
Two women who laid bullying complaints against high-ranking cop Wally Haumaha say a government report into the matter was politicised and ‘‘lacks balance’’.
The report into the appointment of police deputy commissioner Haumaha was released on Monday, finding ‘‘no verifiable basis’’ to concerns raised publicly in June.
Lawyer Mary Scholtens, QC, who led the Government’s inquiry, also detailed bullying allegations that had since emerged and were now under investigation by the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA).
The women who filed formal bullying complaints against Haumaha say Scholtens’ report cast judgment on their claims, despite promises it would not.
Victim advocate Louise Nicholas, who sparked the inquiry and described the report as ‘‘hard reading’’, agreed that the report overstepped its bounds.
The women – staffers at the Ministry of Justice and Depart- ment of Corrections – were two of three who left a joint project at New Zealand Police headquarters after a working relationship with thenassistant commissioner Haumaha broke down in 2016.
‘‘We struggled to get our complaints about deputy commissioner Haumaha’s behaviour taken seriously. We came up against impenetrable systemic barriers,’’ the pair said in a statement.
It appeared a ‘‘political decision’’ to include such detail of the bullying allegations, which included assessment on the veracity of those claims.
‘‘We have felt deeply frustrated throughout this process and at times felt like we were on trial,’’ the women said.
Scholtens, who interviewed 28 witnesses about the bullying allegations, determined the claims ‘‘at worst’’ offered the appointment process information about Haumaha’s management style.
The report describes the woman as feeling ‘‘bullied and belittled’’ by Haumaha after a meeting in which he assertively asked them individually for their commitment to him and the joint project.
Haumaha will continue to work ‘‘remotely’’ until the release of the IPCA report, which it hopes to release in early December.