40 police probe suspected vote scam

Mark Gutry. Photo / Natalie Slade

Search warrants have been executed on about 10 homes and businesses in Papatoetoe as part of a police probe into a possible Super City voting scam.

Over the past two days, up to 40 police officers have been involved in the inquiry into enrolment irregularities in the Otara-Papatoetoe Local Board area.

This follows the removal last week of 306 people from the electoral roll after the Electoral Enrolment Centre found they were not living at addresses they had given in Papatoetoe.

The action followed a Weekend Herald report this month that the police had started investigating a possible attempt to influence the election.

The Weekend Herald report said 48 voters had been listed as living in one house and 39 in another.

It is understood search warrants have been issued on both properties, in Pembroke Rd and Puhinui Rd, and police expect to execute more warrants.

Detective Inspector Mark Gutry, crime manager at Counties Manukau police, said the investigation could lead to charges under electoral law or even criminal charges.

Nearly all the 87 people listed as living at the Pembroke Rd and Puhinui Rd houses have Indian surnames.

Four of the nine people standing for four seats in the Otara-Papatoetoe subdivision are Indian - Labour candidates Daljit Singh and Sukhdev Singh Hundal, and Citizens and Ratepayers candidates Avtar Hans and Narinder Kumar Singla.

Mr Gutry said candidates and campaign staff would be contacted as part of the inquiry. Yesterday, none of the four Indian candidates said they had been contacted by the police.

Daljit Singh yesterday said he knew of people who believed that because there was one Super City, they could vote anywhere.

People who may have unintentionally enrolled were being told to correct the matter with the Electoral Enrolment Centre, he said.

Previously, Daljit Singh told the Weekend Herald that Labour was not asking people to falsely enrol in the area to vote for him and linked rumours of this to a Citizens and Ratepayers smear campaign.

Sukhdev Singh Hundal yesterday said: "I haven't any idea about those irregularities ... I'm a law-abiding person."

Avtar Hans and Narinder Kumar Singla have denied any smear campaign against the Labour candidates.

Mr Singla said he stood for transparency and honesty and condemned any voting irregularities.

Voting papers for the Super City elections went out last Friday, and the postal election closes on October 9.