Maori TV facing more static

National and Act are demanding the sacking of Te Mangai Paho chief executive Trevor Moeke after more damaging disclosures about the Maori broadcasting agency.

National's broadcasting spokeswoman, Katherine Rich, and Act MP Rodney Hide said yesterday they were taking documents to the Auditor-General and would seek a full investigation.

"Trevor Moeke can't survive this. Nor can Maori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia," they said.

"Labour jumped up and down about Tuku Morgan's underpants. This is Tuku's undies souped up, on four wheels."

The MPs have seized reports of an investigation by the Sunday Star-Times as evidence that Te Mangai wrongly used taxpayer funding that was supposed to be spent on Maori broadcasting. The newspaper found that funds for Maori television were used to lease a car used by an executive who worked for a law firm involved in housing buy-back deals that the Serious Fraud Office is investigating.

It also reported that Mr Moeke had tried to recover cartoon licences from a programme production company, Slightly Off Beat Productions, which was in liquidation.

Another reported disclosure was that the service agreed to a deal for expensive offices, contrary to Government statements, and that some of the buy-back housing deals were intended to fund those offices.

Te Mangai said the allegations would be investigated by interim chairman Wira Gardiner. A spokeswoman said Mr Moeke denied any impropriety.

Mr Horomia, speaking on TV One's Marae programme, did not respond to details of the allegations but said: "There are a lot of people in this game who have a vested interest to quite clearly negate and knock about Maoris' positive developments."

A spokesman for Prime Minister Helen Clark said she did not intend commenting.

Mr Horomia has been under intense scrutiny in Parliament over Te Mangai since a Treasury report identified 30 incorrect answers he had given to questions.

Te Mangai chairman Toby Curtis resigned when the report was released, and Mr Moeke's performance is under review. The review's findings are expected this week.

Associate Maori Affairs Minister John Tamihere was quoted by the Sunday Star-Times as saying the attempt to recover property from the liquidated company was "inappropriate activity ... that defeats the process of the law - or attempts to".

He initiated the SFO inquiry into the housing buy-back scheme after receiving complaints from 73 families who had lost their houses.

- NZPA