Ministry polishes off furniture claim

Rodney Hide

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has denied claims money was spent on furniture and other household items at an official residence in Taipei without proper approval.

Rowan Tautari, an office administrator at the New Zealand Commerce and Industry Office in Taipei, raised the issue, saying she was concerned the purchases did not meet strict ministry guidelines.

Ms Tautari, who is also the niece of Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters, said the purchases were made for the official residence of director Clare Fearnley.

Ms Tautari wrote a report last November, saying in it that she had become "very concerned" about various processes that were being applied at the post.

Items purchased included a dining table and chairs, lounge suite, outdoor furniture, a barbecue and a DVD projector.

Act leader Rodney Hide, who obtained the report, told TV One these were "serious allegations" about financial mismanagement from within Foreign Affairs.

But Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade deputy secretary John Larkindale said the claims were baseless.

They had been fully investigated by the ministry's audit, property and finance staff after they were made late last year.

"I am confident that this matter has been properly investigated and that there are no issues to address," he said.

The claims involved furniture worth about $24,000 and a projector for use at the director's residence.

"Official New Zealand residences overseas are often used for presentations and functions and need to be properly furnished and equipped. All items were properly declared and approved."

Claims were also made about a blowout in the Taiwan post's language training budget.

Mr Larkindale said that was necessary spending that was properly approved by the director. Claims of impropriety were relatively rare, he said, and were fully investigated.

- NZPA