Sir James Wallace named as former rich-lister convicted of indecently assaulting three men and attempting to pervert the course of justice

Sir James Wallace enters the High Court at Auckland. Photo / Sam Hurley

One of New Zealand’s leading arts and film philanthropists, Sir James Wallace, can today be named as the former rich-lister convicted of indecently assaulting three men and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Referred to for the past five years in Herald stories as the prominent businessman, Wallace, who had an estimated net worth of about $170 million, was accused and found guilty of assaulting his victims in the early 2000s, 2008 and 2016.

He was also charged with twice attempting to pervert the course of justice by offering a bribe for the 2016 complainant - the first of the three to go to police - to drop their allegations.

Today at 2pm, the 85-year-old’s suppression order, which has been constantly opposed by the Herald and Stuff, lapsed with a Supreme Court judgment.

Several people in New Zealand’s arts and entertainment scene, particularly in Auckland, have told the Herald Wallace’s criminal proceedings have been the “worst kept secret in town” in the past few years.

Now that his suppression has expired, the Government has begun the process of stripping Wallace of his knighthood, as was the case with fellow disgraced rich-lister Ron Brierley.

“The Acting Prime Minister has initiated the process for honours forfeiture,” a spokesperson said in a statement.

“That process includes affording Sir James Wallace an opportunity to respond with any comments that he considers should be taken into account. There will be no further comment until that process has reached its conclusion.”

Also up for debate is his future involvement in the industry and if his name will continue to adorn several organisations he was a founding patron of.

Wallace had been a constant on NBR’s annual rich list but has been absent in recent years due to his criminal cases. NBR’s 2020 rich list estimated his net worth was about $170m.

The Wallace Art Awards, established in 1992 had been lauded as the largest and longest surviving of their kind in New Zealand, with a prize value of more than $275,000, including residencies in the United States, Switzerland, Italy and Russia. The roll call of previous winners and placegetters is an arts world who’s who.

The awards have not operated for the past two years. Announcing the cancellation of the 2022 event, the trust said it was “refreshing our strategic plan ... we remain committed to celebrating New Zealand artists on a grand scale and we’ll be looking at new and different ways of doing so in years to come”.

Sir James Wallace appears at Auckland High Court for sentencing in May 2021. Photo / Michael Craig

Wallace was sentenced to two years and four months in prison in May 2021. He was, however, released on bail to his Auckland mansion pending his appeals which were dismissed by the Court of Appeal earlier this year.

Wallace was ordered to report to the Department of Corrections at Mount Eden Prison on February 21 and is now serving his prison sentence.

Further appeals to the Supreme Court by Wallace have also been dismissed.

All three men were assaulted under the guise of career opportunities at Wallace’s four-storey mansion in Epsom, which he calls Rannoch, a home filled with millions of dollars’ worth of art and surrounded by lush gardens.

Wallace has always vehemently denied the allegations against him and claimed to be the victim of the MeToo campaign.

When he was first charged in February 2017, he told the Herald it was a “completely vicious blackmailing effort”.

Sir James Wallace at Pah Homestead, Auckland in 2013. Photo / File

Wallace’s lack of remorse “infuriates” one victim, while another has said he expected Wallace to rely on his philanthropy in an effort “to wipe away the guilty verdict”.

One victim told the Herald the protracted trial and appeal process “may have been the most traumatic part of the entire experience.”

Before he was sentenced, Wallace emailed more than 100 people and organisations asking for letters of support to present to the judge.

“I would greatly appreciate such support ... I am innocent of all charges,” he wrote.

“I would doubt I would survive any period in prison. In these circumstances, innocent people can and do rot in jail only to be cleared some time later. Such is the law.”

In the email, Wallace also confidently claimed “we will win the appeal”.

Sir James Wallace, whose art collection is on display at the Pah Homestead. Photo / NZ Herald

Throughout his life, Wallace has funded some of New Zealand’s most celebrated arts and film ventures, including serving as an executive producer for Oscar winner Taika Waititi’s Hunt for the Wilderpeople.

He began collecting art, now worth about $50m as the James Wallace Arts Trust Collection, in the 1960s. It has loaned many works for public viewing, including to Government House, the Supreme Court, universities, Auckland’s exclusive The Northern Club, and his alma mater King’s College.

The Wallace Arts Centre at the Pah Homestead, owned by Auckland Council, is also used as a public art gallery housing the trust’s collection.

Wallace is a founding patron or funder of New Zealand Opera, the Auckland Theatre Company, the Royal NZ Ballet, and the ASB Waterfront Theatre - home to the Auckland Theatre Company.

He has estimated he and the trust spend about $2m per year on the arts, which saw him knighted for services to the industry in 2011.

Wallace made his fortune through a variety of business interests, most notably a meat processing plant in Waitoa.

Sir James Wallace gives evidence during his trial in the High Court at Auckland. Photo / Sam Hurley

Throughout the criminal proceedings, Wallace has continued to enjoy his association with the arts industry, been involved in funding several projects and attended fashionable events.

A trial for Wallace was first scheduled for September 2017 but was postponed as police investigated the possibility he and others had attempted to pay off the complainant.

In April 2018, Wallace was further charged with a second indecent assault from February 2008 after another man came forward.

Wallace’s business manager, who continues to seek name suppression, and entertainer Mika X, who appeared in the Oscar-winning film The Piano, were charged with attempting to dissuade the 2016 victim from giving evidence at his trial.

The victim was offered bribes and promises of future work opportunities, including during what would later be known as the “Gold Coast plot” in May 2017.

Sir James Wallace is considered New Zealand's leading arts and film philanthropist, which saw him knighted for services to the industry in 2011. Photo / Paul Estcourt

Two PR consultants were hired for the scheme by Wallace through the manager to stop the case.

The PR workers were earlier revealed as the politically connected Jevan Goulter and his business partner Allison Edmonds, who both posed as New York talent agents during a meeting at the five-star Palazzo Versace hotel in Queensland.

They were later granted immunity from prosecution by the Solicitor-General in exchange for their evidence against Wallace.

Goulter has worked with several political parties, including Labour and the Mana Party and in Parliament with Hone Harawira and The Opportunities Party. He was also fired as Hannah Tamaki’s Vision NZ spokesperson after attacking a broadcaster on social media.

Former National Party president Michelle Boag was also named in the case but the Crown declined to call her as a witness.

Boag’s identity was highlighted when Wallace told jurors it was her purported association with Goulter that attracted him to using PR firm Goulter & Associates for the bribe attempt. Boag, who had been named on the Goulter & Associates website, has always denied any involvement in the criminal conspiracy, while Goulter has recanted his assertions about her involvement in a statement to police.

An initial trial for Wallace, Mika X, and the manger eventually began in March 2019 in the Auckland District Court.

After two weeks of evidence, however, the trial was aborted by Judge Russell Collins after a secret recording emerged of the manager, Goulter and Edmonds discussing efforts to dissuade the 2016 victim at Family Bar on Karangahape Rd.

The third indecent assault complainant then came forward to police after the aborted trial, resulting in another allegation from the early 2000s and further charge against Wallace.

The case was then transferred to the High Court and a trial was scheduled for June 2020, which was postponed to February 2021 due to Covid-19.

Just days before the trial began, Mika X, who stood for TOP in the 2017 election, pleaded guilty to two charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Mika X, also known as Mika Haka, was sentenced to 11 months’ home detention.

The writer and director of the award-winning short film GURL admitted he tried to dissuade the 2016 complainant during a meeting in April 2017 and as part of the Gold Coast scheme.

Mika X in the High Court for their sentencing. Photo / Mike White, Pool

The Herald earlier revealed, while on bail, Mika X and organisations linked to him were granted more than $100,000 from the government’s national arts and development entity.

Wallace and his manager were both found guilty at trial.

The manager was sentenced to 12 months of home detention and also had an appeal against his attempting to pervert the course of justice conviction dismissed last month.

At Wallace’s sentencing, Justice Geoffrey Venning did not hold back with his criticism of the philanthropist.

“Your inability to accept your offending is made plain in your discussion with a probation officer, you consider yourself to be a victim of the tall poppy syndrome,” the judge said.

“Your sense of self-entitlement is repeated in the affidavit you provided for sentencing, it displays a lack of empathy for your victims and confirms your lack of insight into your offending.”

Sam Hurley is a news director and senior reporter. He joined the Herald in 2017 and has previously worked for 1News and Hawke’s Bay Today. He has been investigating Sir James Wallace since 2018.