'Maori Government' leader denies running scam

A woman arrested in connection with the so-called "Maori Police" demands for money from Gisborne moteliers denies she is running an extortion racket.

Sue Nikora, 69, the "prime minister of the Maori Government of Aotearoa", has been bailed to appear in court on Friday charged with being a party to impersonating a police officer.

She has denied suggestions from Gisborne police that the scheme was a financial scam rather than a political stand.

"It is about our tino rangatiratanga or our sovereignty rights which cannot be breached...wherefore it follows that the tangata whenua...live in freedom to enjoy the rights of protection afforded to us by our own tikanga Maori or customary laws," she told National Radio.

Nikora said that representatives of the "Maori government" met on May 30 in Gisborne and implemented seven proclamations based on the return of New Zealand land.

"One of our caucus implementations to support our proclamations was the creation of a law and order protection force. Unfortunately we used the words 'Maori Police'. We didn't know we couldn't use the word police."

She said the "police" were renamed as "security", were warranted and uniformed and were directed "to collect rentals from our Maori land occupied by businesses".

"It's not a scam. We have got our lands back and what these boys were doing, they were going to demand rent for land that we own.

"We weren't asking for compensation, we were only asking for rent from the 30th of May onwards."

She didn't agree that the moteliers had title on the land as the "Maori Government" had proclaimed it back.

"They are working with lands which are now owned by Maori. It's always been owned by Maori," she said

"It's the first time that we have been upstanding and claiming back our rights."

She said she did not support the Maori Party "because it belongs to the colonial government".

A second accused, a 31-year-old man, was arrested at a Gisborne house yesterday and charged with impersonating a police officer and demanding with menaces.

The man appeared in Gisborne District Court yesterday and was remanded on bail.

Mr Gibson said police were confident of finding two other men.

"It's just a matter of time. Obviously they know we are looking for them and we'll have them in the next couple of days."

He said there had been no more reports of money being demanded.

- NZPA