Auckland Council boss investigates mayoral aide’s company liquidation, $560,000 owed to IRD

Jazz Singh, chief of staff to Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown, called in the liquidators on June 4 for his property company Photo / NZBBC

Auckland Council chief executive Phil Wilson is investigating a mayoral executive who owns a property company in liquidation owing $560,000 to Inland Revenue.

Jazz Singh, chief of staff to Mayor Wayne Brown, called in the liquidators on June 4 for his property company, Traxx Investments Ltd.

The first report by liquidators Steven Khov and Kieran Jones on June 11 shows the company had no assets at the date of liquidation and the sole creditor was the Inland Revenue Department, which is owed $559,739.

Wilson told the Herald this morning that over the weekend, the mayor had asked him to look into the situation.

“The pretext is that even for people employed in the mayor’s office, they are council employees,” Wilson said, adding that there is a level of independence for mayoral staff, but he holds responsibility.

“While I’m doing so and until we fully understand the situation, it wouldn’t be appropriate to comment further,” Wilson said.

“In the meantime, and by mutual agreement, Jazz is taking a few days’ leave.”

Auckland Council chief executive Phil Wilson.

Jazz Singh is the chief of staff in the mayor's office.

Wilson said neither he nor the mayor was aware of the existence of the company, and it being put into liquidation.

“I wasn’t aware, but Jazz had put it [the company] on his declaration that there was a development company he was involved in,” Wilson, who only became aware of the situation over the weekend, said.

Wilson said he was unaware whether the council had granted consents for any property developments Singh was involved with.

The Herald is seeking comment from Singh and Brown.

Singh told Newsroom the existence of his business interest had been declared to the council, but not the liquidation.

Asked about the circumstances leading to the liquidation, he said: “I don’t plan on talking to you about that.”

Wayne Brown has asked chief executive Phil Wilson to look into the matter. Photo / Alex Burton

Singh was appointed as Brown’s chief of staff on June 24 last year, having been the mayor’s head of budget and finance.

Before working in the mayoral office, Singh was the council’s general manager of procurement, head of risk and acting general counsel.

At the time of his appointment as chief of staff, Brown said in a media release that Singh would bring a sharp focus on delivery and holding council spending and procurement practices to account.

Singh grew up in Mt Roskill, attended Mt Roskill Grammar School and holds a law degree and a Bachelor of Property.

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