Wetere beats embargo on critical wananga report

Rongo Wetere at the press conference in Mangere yesterday. Picture / Paul Estcourt

Te Wananga o Aotearoa head Rongo Wetere will fight any moves to oust him, despite taking a hammering in a report into the Government-funded organisation.

Dr Wetere took the unusual step of releasing the results of an Auditor-General's investigation into the wananga at a press conference at Waatea Marae in Mangere yesterday.

In an act of defiance of the Government, Dr Wetere ignored an embargo restricting the release of the report until it was tabled in Parliament today.

Dr Wetere said he had waited long enough to have his name cleared, and wanted to release the report immediately.

"There has been no misappropriation of money, no fraud, and no nepotism."

However the Herald understands the move was prompted by hopes of firing the first shots in the inevitable ructions expected to follow the report's release.

And while no fraud is detailed in the 86-page report, criticisms of practices including inappropriate use of taxpayer funding and conflicts of interests dominate its coverage.

At least 17 direct relatives of Dr Wetere are identified in the report either as employees of the wananga or as contractors.

There is concern over the tens of millions of dollars paid to companies owned by or employing children of Dr Wetere providing services as diverse as tertiary courses, landscaping, and the supply of air-conditioning equipment, to the leasing of properties and printing.

Poor decision making and inadequate processes involving significant amounts of money also come under fire.

The report uses the example of the 2003 purchase of Hamilton's Glenview Tavern. The wananga has spent $14.4 million on the hotel yet a recent valuation puts its worth at $10 million.

The institution's policy on international travel and credit card use by senior management is also criticised.

A trip by Dr Wetere to the US, Canada and Cuba in 2002 is questioned in the report, which could find no documentation detailing why the trip, costing more than $73,000, was taken. Prior approval was also not found.

"We found many examples of conflicts of interest, which were poorly managed. It has been common to find TWOA contracting with or employing, relatives of senior personnel (or those relatives' companies).

Dr Wetere said many issues identified in the report had since been resolved.

He said while some mistakes had been made, they were as a result of substantial growth by the organisation, and did not warrant his resignation.

"I will fight any moves to remove me, and have no intention to stand down."