The suspected illegal sale of a Northland island is further evidence of the Government's free-for-all attitude to selling land to foreign interests, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters says.
Motukawaiti Island, the only private island in the Cavallis off Matauri Bay, was sold four years ago to a company called St Morris NZ owned by Auckland-based Chinese nationals.
Read more: Island on market despite probe
However, the company did not have permission to buy the island, which is required for land deemed as sensitive under the Overseas Investment Act, yet the sale still went ahead.
The purchase has been under investigation by the Overseas Investment Office (OIO) since 2011.