$20,000 payment from a bogus invoice

John Tamihere

A payment of $20,000 cash into Labour MP John Tamihere's private election fund came from a cheque raised through a bogus invoice to the Waipareira Trust, according to a statement signed by John Tamihere.

The statement, obtained by the Herald on Sunday, says Mr Tamihere contacted his former campaign manager, Mike Tolich, after being interviewed by the Serious Fraud Officein November.

He spoke to him about the initial payment of $20,000 into Te Tahi Trust, an election fundset up by the two men to allow political donors to hide their identities.

"During this conversation Mr Tolich also suggested the $20,000 cash deposit into Te Tahi Trust had come from Waipareira Trust. Mr Tolich told me he had a range of authorities and approvals from the executive committee of the Waipareira Trust to putthe money into the Te TahiTrust account."

The money from Waipareira Trust was among cash obtained through a series of invoices under investigation by the SFO, over which Mr Tolich now faces charges. Other SFO papers show that one of the invoices, made out to Kimi Mahi Ltd, a company which doesn't exist, resulted in a cheque that was cashed on June 30, 1999.

In communications between the SFO and police, the SFO investigators link the money with $20,000 cash paid into the Te Tahi Trust on July 14, 1999.

The papers also show the SFO was assured by Mr Tamihere that he knew nothing about financial management of Te Tahi Trust.

Mr Tamihere told investigators:

* He had no idea where the money in the trust came from;

* He had little idea what the money was spent on because he signed mainly blank cheques;

* He had no idea what money was in the account because he never opened bank statements sent to his Post Office box. 

- HERALD ON SUNDAY