PM hints that Maori TV's recruiters face legal action

By PAULA OLIVER

The recruitment company that found John Davy could be the target of legal action for its role in the Maori Television Service debacle.

Millennium People, a central Wellington firm, was hired by MTS to find a chief executive.

The firm yesterday came under fire from all angles for its involvement in the selection of Mr Davy, with Prime Minister Helen Clark hinting that legal action by the Maori Television Service was a possibility.

"If you pay for a professional job to be done and it hasn't been you may wish to consider what action you take," she said.

It has been estimated that Millennium People would have charged between $40,000 and $60,000 to find Mr Davy.

Last night Millennium People director Wayne Ball moved to defend his company, saying that extensive reference checks were done on Mr Davy but they were defeated by a man he claimed in a media statement to be a "sophisticated international fraudster".

When Millennium People was made aware of concerns over Mr Davy's credentials, it made further inquiries which showed his qualifications were bogus, Mr Ball said.

But Helen Clark said that the MTS board had acted properly when it hired Millennium People, and it expected a professional job.

Millennium People is run by a husband-and-wife team who are known for work in Maori recruitment.

Company records show the firm was registered in March 2000, with two directors - Wayne Ball, 40, and Makere Papuni, 41.

Checks show Makere Papuni has also been known as Margaret Ball.

Neither is a director of any other company.

When the Herald visited the offices of Millennium People yesterday afternoon it found the doors locked and the reception area empty.

Inside, a stack of Mana magazines decorated the waiting area, and modern blue sofas offered a welcome to clients.

In response to repeated knocking a staff member came to the door, and shortly after the Herald was told that Mr Ball was not available for comment but a statement would be issued later in the day.

The company had legal issues to work through before it could comment, a public relations representative said.

Millennium People's website yesterday contained advertisements for three Maori-oriented jobs - one at the Department of Internal Affairs, another at Tainui Group Holdings, and the third as a Maori development manager at Wellink Trust.

Internal Affairs spokesman Colin Feslier said the department did not use Millennium People as a recruitment company.

It had paid the company to place an advertisement on its website because it "was a job that required knowledge of the Maori world and it's a website that people who have that knowledge look at".

The department did its own in-house personnel selection.

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