Maori TV chief in gun over MBA degree

By LOUISA CLEAVE and JULIE MIDDLETON

The name of an American university from which the Maori Television Service board says its chief executive graduated is widely used on counterfeit credentials sold over the internet.

The board yesterday supplied details of John Davy's master of business administration degree after a Herald inquiry raised questions about his background and qualifications.

The board said the MBA was "from the Ashland School of Business at Denver State University granted in June 1976".

The Herald made extensive checks in the United States and could find no reference to Denver State University.

An editor at the Denver Post said he had lived in the city his entire life and had never heard of a university of that name.

Neither could the Herald find any mention of Ashland Business School at either Denver University or the University of Colorado.

The Herald did discover websites which gave examples of degrees available from companies selling fake diplomas.

One showed a certificate for a Master of Science degree in Biology from the "Ashland School of Sciences" at "Denver State University".

By following a few simple steps, it was easy to order a masters degree in business administration from Denver State University for US$159 ($353).

The cooldegree.com site has an order form providing spaces for what should be printed on the diploma, including the full name to be printed on the document, the date of graduation, date of birth, gender and the previous school attended.

"No diploma is complete without an authentic Letter of Recommendation, signed by your professor, highlighting you as a high quality student and a person of great ethics and integrity," says the site.

"This is a nice showcase to show off to everyone."

Mr Davy, a Canadian businessman, was appointed chief executive of the service six weeks ago.

Board chairman Derek Fox said yesterday that Mr Davy had given directors a copy of his MBA degree.

But Mr Fox said he would not release it to the media.

The Herald faxed Mr Fox a copy of the degree found on the internet but he said it did not resemble the document produced by Mr Davy.

"There's different names. Different all sorts of things on it. It's set out different," said a clearly agitated Mr Fox.

"Look, I have to say I'm trying very hard to be calm here ... I don't have to talk to you at all. I report to people that I am required to report to. You haven't got one thing that has stood up."

Asked if he believed Mr Davy's degree and the sample off the internet were associated, he said: "Have you seen my [press] statement? What's your motivation?"

The board says in its statement that the directors are satisfied the process they went through to recruit Mr Davy was "robust and correct".

Mr Fox says in the statement that the work carried out by the chief executive in the start-up stage of Maori television has been pleasing.

The Maori Television Service is accountable to the Government and the Maori Electoral College.

College chairman Hone Harawira said he was expecting a report about Mr Davy, and was quoted as saying: "If he's cool, he's cool and if he's not, then ka kite [see you later] mate, on your bike, readvertise, get a Maori!"

When the Herald approached Mr Davy for comment last night at his Kohimarama home he said: "You have one minute to get off my property."

He went inside, but then reappeared on a second-floor verandah with a video recorder and asked, "Who are you representing?" before disappearing inside.

Mr Davy answered a mobile phone call a few minutes later and said that the "police are on their way".

He later responded to a text message which urged him to have his say.

Mr Davy wrote: "I will have after legal advice on Monday."

The Maori Television Service board has spent two days investigating issues the Herald raised on Thursday.

Finance Minister Michael Cullen has called for a full report from the board and instructed Treasury officials to make independent inquiries.

Dr Cullen received a letter from Mr Fox yesterday which outlined the recruitment process.

It also addressed some of the questions raised this week.

A spokeswoman for Dr Cullen confirmed that the letter contained a reference to the MBA from Denver State University.

She said Treasury officials were still carrying out their own inquiries and a report was expected early next week.

The board employed Wellington company Millennium People to find a chief executive.

Search and recruitment companies, including Korn Ferry, TMP Worldwide and Pohlen Kean, said yesterday that they had never heard of Millennium People, which was established two years ago.

Mr Fox said the agency had been responsible for checking candidates for the job.

"You don't go ahead and hire a dog and then go and do the mustering yourself.

"If you hire people to do a job you expect them to do it - and they've done it."

The board statement said Mr Davy had also provided details of "some highly confidential work he carried out for the British Columbia Securities Commission in 1986".

A British Columbia Securities Commission spokesman, Andrew Poon, said he had not found any references to a John Davy at the commission in the past 15 years or in records back to the late 1970s.

Mr Fox yesterday accused the Herald of "Maori bashing".

He said he was aware of Intercom3000, the company Mr Davy came to New Zealand to head before he was appointed to the Maori television position last month.

The Herald has spoken to people who knew and worked with John Davy in British Columbia, Hong Kong and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. The information they have provided is being assessed.