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The husband of disgraced former MP Donna Awatere Huata has failed in his bid to have the Supreme Court overturn his fraud convictions.
Wi Huata was found guilty in September 2005 of four counts of fraud and one of attempting to pervert the course of justice.
All charges related to defrauding the government-funded Pipi Foundation. He was sentenced to two years' jail but granted bail until the outcome of appeals by him and his wife to the Court of Appeal were known. (Awatere Huata served nine months in jail and three months on home detention for frauds involving about $80,000.)
The appeals failed and Huata is serving his sentence on home detention.
The Supreme Court yesterday dismissed his application to appeal his convictions, saying it appeared to be an attempt "to have this court embark on a second general appeal".
Huata had based his application on fair trial and Bill of Rights issues.
"There is nothing we can discern which might properly be regarded as raising any point of general or public importance," the Supreme Court said.
"Nor is there, on any ground, any tenable basis for concluding that a substantial miscarriage of justice might occur if leave is not granted.
- NZPA
