Davy moves into $49 motel as National turns up heat

By LOUISA CLEAVE

Disgraced former Maori Television head John Davy has left his $975-a-week rented home for a $49-a-night motel.

He moved out of the Kohimarama house two nights ago, his landlord said.

Davy told him he was going to stay in a motel which was costing $49 a night.

The Auckland police fraud squad said Davy had notified them of his new address.

Court records had yesterday not been amended. Staff said Davy should have notified the court of his new address before moving.

He is due back in court next Wednesday to be sentenced for fraud. He admitted making up his CV, telling police in a videotaped interview that it contained "a large number of fabrications".

His bail conditions included residing at his former address, surrendering his passport and not having any contact with the MTS or Millennium People.

In Parliament yesterday, National turned up the heat on the Government over who was responsible for hiring Davy.

Broadcasting spokeswoman Katherine Rich released documents which reveal Davy was offered $210,000 a year, made up of a base salary of $140,000, at risk performance remuneration of $50,000, and an additional $20,000 to carry out the dual role of chief financial officer.

His relocation costs, including airfares and furniture shipment, were also paid for, and he was offered temporary accommodation for two to four weeks when he arrived in New Zealand.

The job offer was also subject to Davy's salary being approved by Finance Minister Michael Cullen and Maori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia.

An offer of employment sent to Davy in the Philippines on March 5 said the contract was subject to security clearances, credit checks, and his immigration status applying for the duration of his employment "being completed to the satisfaction of the board".

MTS company secretary Mark Bullen emailed Davy on March 13 saying MTS expected his contract to be signed off that day. He sent a letter of offer, "which [chairman] Derek [Fox] will formally sign when he is here".

A letter from Millennium People director Wayne Ball to Mr Bullen, written on March 13, reiterated advice sent to MTS on March 7 about running security, credit and immigration checks.

Mr Ball suggested MTS use Baycorp to run a credit check on Davy and said he enclosed a request form for searching the Wanganui computer police database.

Mrs Rich said the documents proved it was the board's job to carry out security clearances and immigration and credit checks.

A Government inquiry by the State Services Commissioner, Michael Wintringham, said that "clearly" reference checks carried out by recruitment agency Millennium People were inadequate.

"Although I understand that there is some question as to whether the contractual requirements in this regard were modified by subsequent oral agreement," he said in a report to the Government.

The MTS has not released a review by Ernst & Young of the contract it had with Millennium People.

No one at Millennium People was spoken to as part of either inquiry.

Mrs Rich has called for a new investigation which would include all relevant information.

"From the information released so far, it's clear that the board and [Maori Affairs] minister cannot continue to blame others for decisions it has made," she said.

Asked in Parliament to confirm the documents, Mr Horomia said: "All documents with mixed assumptions in them that need to be made available will be made available."

Prime Minister Helen Clark said that "fundamentally" neither Mr Horomia nor Te Puni Kokiri, which signs off any contracts on behalf of MTS and is responsible to Mr Horomia, was responsible for the failure of Millennium People to put forward suitable candidates for the job.

"An agency is entitled to believe when it pays good money for advice that advice is competent. Millennium People's was not," Helen Clark said.

Mr Horomia said MTS would announce an interim chief executive this week.

Full coverage: Maori TV