The return of Luigi Wewege

Luigi Wewege.

Former John Palino aide back in NZ and tapping into mayoral race connections.

Luigi Wewege is now a chief executive who wants to help rich immigrants move to New Zealand.

Wewege, former campaign aide to Auckland mayoral contender John Palino, earned infamy in the aftermath of Mayor Len Brown's sex scandal, which broke shortly after his re-election last October.

Now, 28-year-old Wewege is director of companies including New Zealand China Development Group, Vivier Investments, and Nikau Global.

Wewege has reunited with Palino campaign volunteers for his new enterprises. Palino campaign photographer Clement Oh is listed as one of four interns at Nikau Global. Palino campaign volunteer Linton Rathgen is general manager of New Zealand China Development Group.

Former Palino campaign aide Michael Hart holds all the shares in these companies but lists Wewege as co-director.

"He's got lots of skills and he's working for me and that's all the comment I want to make," Hart said this week.

"New Zealand China Development Group specialises in investment immigration providing a professional, yet personal service, to selected high net-worth individuals who wish to apply for permanent entry to New Zealand," the company's website says. "We only work with clients with whom we are confident we can obtain the type of entry being sought."

The Vivier group promises to offer advice on foreign exchange trading, "direct buyer research" and a raft of financial service.

Wewege was now putting to use his business skills. The University of Missouri this week confirmed Wewege had a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with triple majors in finance, international business and management.

A version of his CV leaked in the wake of last year's local body elections was derided on social media for some of its content, such as a claim Wewege helped establish Germany's first pie restaurant.

In his only interview, with the Herald on Sunday last year, Wewege defended his CV but admitted he amended it after its publication.

A chapter of Nicky Hager's Dirty Politics book rejuvenated discussion of cloak-and-dagger tactics used to reveal Brown's affair with Bevan Chuang.

Dirty Politics suggested numerous people had advance knowledge of Brown's affair, or actively plotted to shame him into resigning.

Despite Chuang's allegations of a calculated smear campaign against Brown, Wewege insisted Chuang, xenophobia and jealous members of the Young Nats had undermined him. "I've been vilified and really pulled through the mud because I've passed on information," he said.

Wewege left the country about a fortnight after last year's elections and went to the United States, primarily Florida. He then became engaged to Jana Bobisikova jnr, the daughter of a former Czech politician.

Wewege said this week he was about to fly overseas for business but hoped to talk later.