Tainui dumps former chairman

By JON STOKES

A former chairman of Tainui's executive, Haydn Solomon, has been removed from the tribe's ruling body over involvement in controversial Corrections Department contracts.

The governing body voted unanimously at a special meeting yesterday to remove Mr Solomon for bringing the tribe into disrepute.

Tainui is one of the country's most powerful iwi. It has more than 50,000 beneficiaries and assets worth more than $220 million. The executive is responsible for managing the tribe's affairs.

The vote follows months of wrangling after the release of a report by Hamilton firm Forensic Investigations in June.

It looked into Tainui's involvement in Maori consultation contracts worth $600,000 for the proposed Springhill prison near Meremere.

The report alleged that four tribal staff, including Mr Solomon, invoiced both the Corrections Department and the iwi for more than $10,000 each for the same work.

Executive chairman Kingi Porima said the tribe's constitution allowed the executive to remove a member "if he or she acts in a way which brought, or was likely to bring, Te Kauhanganui [Tainui's 189-member parliament] into disrepute".

"Today's action followed a robust process and lengthy consideration of matters relating to the Corrections Department contract," he said.

It is understood the vote was 7-0 in favour of his removal, with Mr Solomon and his girlfriend, Justine Berryman, abstaining.

Mr Solomon's removal cuts what was a 12-member executive to eight.

In September co-chairman Tukoroirangi Morgan had to resign after it was revealed that a conviction almost 20 years ago for obstructing police during a land march made him ineligible to be a director.

His resignation followed that of former Maori Affairs Minister Koro Wetere, who was also found to be ineligible because of a drink-driving conviction three years ago.

In July last year, executive member Peter Tuteao was removed after admitting criminal convictions.

Mr Porima said replacements would be sorted out at the next meeting of the tribe's parliament.

Mr Solomon could not be contacted for comment last night.