Davy farce fatal for recruiters

By LOUISA CLEAVE

The recruiting agency which found John Davy to head Maori television has closed its doors.

Millennium People recommended Davy for the chief executive role after he applied for a position as finance officer.

He is now serving a prison sentence for making up the CV that won him the job.

Millennium People, which specialises in Maori recruiting and was to be paid $70,000 for its work for Maori TV, said yesterday that it had been made a scapegoat for the Davy debacle.

The closure of the company, run by Wayne Ball and his wife, Margaret, made two full-time staff and one part-timer redundant, said a spokeswoman.

She added that the company had made nearly $1 million in 18 months and was shutting down to avoid losing money.

Mr Ball said the business was "effectively ... blacklisted" after the Davy debacle.

"We want to make it clear that we were not responsible for employing Mr Davy.

"The Maori Television Service board, the Ministry of Maori Development [Te Puni Kokiri], the State Services Commission and the Minister of Maori Affairs had significant responsibilities in the appointment process."

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