Vetting urged after high-profile case
Calls have been made for Creative New Zealand to include a vetting clause in its grants policies, so applicants facing serious criminal charges cannot cash in on funding for arts projects.
But the organisation says instances where applicants face charges ‘‘do not arise often’’, and it would only be open to reviewing its processes ‘‘should this become a more frequent issue’’.
It comes after convicted entertainer Mika X, also known as Mika Haka, and associated entities were revealed to have been paid tens of thousands in arts grants while Mika was facing criminal charges in relation to trying to bribe a witness to drop an indecent assault complaint against a prominent businessman, who has since been found guilty.
Tim Walker, a former strategic assessor for Creative NZ, said vetting was worth considering.
A declaration by an applicant confirming they were not facing criminal charges, and a more formal police/background check,
should be viewed as options, Walker said.
A check would help assessors and the public retain confidence in Creative New Zealand’s stringent processes, he said.
The organisation’s senior manager for business services, Angus Evison, confirmed it did not have any process in place to address applicants possibly facing charges.
‘‘Should this become a more frequent and significant issue, the organisation would be open to reviewing its processes in the future,’’ he said.
The organisation first became aware of Mika X’s charges when his name suppression lapsed on March 30 this year, Evison said.
Mika X was first charged and appeared in the Auckland District Court on April 27, 2018. In the period between, the entertainer and entities linked to him racked up thousands of dollars in grants: the Mika Haka Foundation Charitable Trust was paid $49,550 in May 2020, while Haka himself received $4220 last year.
Creative New Zealand says the convictions have not affected the status of the foundation’s funding, because it delivered its project in September last year, following the May payment.
‘‘As with every person accused of a crime, an applicant facing charges is not proven guilty or innocent until they are processed by the justice system,’’ Evison said.
Evison said Creative New Zealand had ‘‘no relationships’’ with the wider judicial system, including police, the courts and Corrections.