TMP chief executive takes indefinite leave

12.10pm

Embattled Te Mangai Paho (TMP) chief executive Trevor Moeke has gone on indefinite leave as reviews into the organisation continue.

Acting chairman Wira Gardiner today said he would step into the role of executive manager of the Maori broadcast funding agency in the meantime.

At a press conference, Mr Gardiner said a review currently under way had now been extended to cover other allegations.

Mr Gardiner said the review would now cover expenditure by Slightly Off Beat Productions, and also Mr Moeke's relationships with other industry players.

The Sunday Star Times yesterday reported its inquiries found that funds for Maori television were used to lease a car used by an executive, who worked for a law firm involved in housing buy-back deals, which the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is investigating.

It also reported that Mr Moeke had tried to recover cartoon licences from programme production company Slightly Off Beat Productions , which was in liquidation.

Another reported disclosure was that the Maori Television Service agreed to a deal for expensive offices, contrary to government statements, and that some of the buy-back housing deals were intended to fund those offices.

Mr Gardiner today said he was looking to isolate the small handful of problematic projects from the wider works of TMP which he considered to be above board.

At a press conference, Mr Gardiner said he did not want "the scurrilous activities of a couple of crooks" to do harm to the wider Maori broadcasting industry.

There was no definite completion date for the review but Mr Gardiner said he hoped it would be finished sooner rather than later.

He was still working on the terms of reference due to the extension of the review.

He had briefed ministers on it but had not been instructed to get rid of Mr Moeke.

Mr Gardiner said he was determined to go through due process both for Mr Moeke and the outside organisations who had been accused of mis-spending.

He said he was confident that the vast majority of TMP's funding had been appropriately spent and he was saddened that a small number of companies had appeared to "rort" the system.

Questioned by journalists, Mr Gardiner refused to identify the "crooks" to whom he was referring.

He also refused to say how much Mr Moeke was being paid or how much it would cost the taxpayer to have both him and Mr Moeke on the payroll at the same time.

Mr Gardiner described the total cost to sort out the problems at TMP as a very small amount in the scheme of things.

Maori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia is facing another gruelling week in Parliament as opposition MPs focus on new allegations about TMP.

ACT MP Rodney Hide, leading the charge, said Mr Horomia should be sacked.

"There will certainly be questions every day to him about the state of TMP," he told NZPA.

"It will be crucial for Mr Horomia to front up in Parliament. These allegations are very serious."

Mr Hide said Prime Minister Helen Clark should sack the minister.

"They have to dismiss him... they've poured millions of dollars into Maori television and TMP to get it up and running, they can't do that unless they've got a minister who is on top of his portfolio," he said.

"I don't think he's energetic enough, or demanding enough, of his officials to get on top of what are some very demanding issues. I don't think he's capable of it."

Mr Hide and National's broadcasting spokeswoman, Katherine Rich, said yesterday they would take documents to the auditor-general and demand a full inquiry into the allegations reported by the Sunday Star Times.

"Trevor Moeke can't survive this. Nor can Parekura Horomia," the MPs said.

Mr Horomia has been under attack in Parliament for three weeks over TMP after a Treasury report confirmed that one of its former employees, Tame Te Rangi, had been involved in authorising grants for a Maori broadcasting company which had paid him for sports commentary work.

Mr Horomia initially denied Mr Te Rangi received any cash, but had to admit he was wrong. He said he had received incorrect information from his officials.

TMP's chairman, Toby Curtis, resigned when the Treasury report was released. Wira Gardiner was appointed interim chairman, and put Mr Moeke under review.

Prime Minister Helen Clark today told TVNZ's Breakfast programme that Mr Horomia had been badly let down by his officials.

"Remember, he does not have day to day control over Te Mangai Paho or Maori television for that matter. Maori television has its own board, it is funded by Te Mangai Paho, it is an autonomous crown agency, it has its own board, his department is expected to monitor that.

"Now, if Te Mangai Paho is giving bad advice back to the ministry, the ministry gives bad advice to the minister, and it's the minister who ends up not being able to give the right answer to the question because he was never given it."

Miss Clark said she believed Mr Horomia was a "good minister".

"I think he's hard-working, he's conscientious, he has a very, very good reputation in Maoridom. He has been badly let down."

- NZPA