KEY POINTS:
Senior officials of the Kohanga Reo National Trust have been accused of failing to act on serious complaints about misuse of a preschool's money.
The complaints were made by Te Tane-nui-arangi Kohanga Reo treasurer Keriana Reedy, who said senior managers at the trust, including deputy chief executive Heke Huata, and district area manager, Mere Nuku, failed to act on them.
Ms Reedy said her complaints began in August last year, shortly after she was elected treasurer of the Murupara kohanga's board, and included issues around inappropriate use of kohanga funds, shoddy governance and management and the legality of an application for Government funding worth thousands of dollars.
A Weekend Herald investigation has revealed Murupara police are investigating forgery and fraud allegations made by the kohanga's former chairwoman, Vickilee George.
Maori Affairs and Associate Education Minister Parekura Horomia has called for an urgent report into the claims.
The report, by the Kohanga Reo National Trust, will also investigate:
* The use of thousands of dollars of Government funds to pay the household bills of the kohanga's head, Ihapera Ripia. Ms Ripia admitted to the Herald that she used the preschool centre's chequebook to pay her grocery, power, rates and phone bills.
* The allegation by Ms George of the "gifting" of a 1993 Toyota Hi Ace van, a former kohanga reo vehicle, now registered to Ms Ripia.
* The use of kohanga funds to pay for the registration, repairs, warrant of fitness and petrol of a 1996 Toyota Corolla, registered in Ms Ripia's name since August last year.
The police investigation centres on an application from the trust to secure a special funding loan of $13,641 to pay expenses and wages at the kohanga. Ms Ripia is the main person on the payroll.
Ms Reedy said Ms Huata warned her off pursuing concerns about the legality of the loan.
In an email reply to Ms Reedy's concerns Ms Huata said:"Pushing the issue about the special funding request will lead to the trust calling for the monies to be returned. I agree that the process was wrong but two wrongs is going to make it right. We don't want to make matters worse ..."
Speaking yesterday, Ms Huata accepted she had made the comments.
She said she did not believe the loan application was done to achieve "pecuniary gain for an individual" so had wanted the matter resolved by the kohanga whanau.
"We did want to handle this in-house, in terms of a whanau coming together. It is only fair that we call the kohanga whanau together."
Contact with senior management at the trust followed numerous attempts to have the trust's local area manager act on Ms Reedy's complaints.
She said her complaints led to police visiting her home last month to retrieve all financial information she held on the kohanga - at the direction of the preschool's new chairman.
Ms Reedy said the move followed a whanau meeting called without due notice, where her absence was taken as confirmation of her desire to resign as treasurer.
An email was sent to Ms Huata questioning the legality of her sacking.
In her reply, Ms Huata advised her to respond in writing to the board chairman that your inability to attend is NOT an indication that you want to resign.
However, she questioned Ms Reedy's eligibility to act in the role.
"Keriana, are your children still attending the Kohanga? Becos [sic] if they aren't then in effect you are not an active member of the kohanga."
Ms Nuku, who attended the whanau meeting, declined to comment and directed all questions to the trust.
Ms Huata said the trust's policy was first to attempt to have kohanga complaints resolved by the parents of children attending the kohanga.
"I'd like to think of it in terms of we tried to exhaust every opportunity for it to be dealt with by the whanau and in that particular district. The lack of enthusiasm on the part of the trust, I take responsibility for that, in terms of the way it may appear."
She said she was appointed in September, and she was unable to comment on concerns prior to that date.
She said a hui with kohanga whanau, trust representatives and Ms George and Ms Reedy was due today.
